About 200 new laws that Colorado lawmakers passed this year go into effect August 6, ranging from comprehensive updates to wage theft protections to smaller tweaks in state statutes.

Here are some of the new laws that Coloradans should know.

Stronger voter protections

Colorado lawmakers passed stronger voter protections this year in anticipation of federal rollbacks of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The new law protects access for voters in jail and allows the attorney general to enforce voting rights. It bans efforts to limit someone’s right to vote based on gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.

Updated wage theft law

A new wage theft law will impose fines on employers that misclassify employee types that affect their compensation. Fines range from $5,000 to $50,000 for multiple violations that are not fixed within two months. The new law will also reduce the time the state needs to wait before paying an aggrieved employee out of the state’s Wage Theft Enforcement Fund from six months to four months, so those people will get their earned money faster.

The new law will also protect contractors from retaliation for taking protection under wage and hour laws. It also makes illegal efforts to use an employee’s immigration status against them to impact their pay and responsibilities at work

Starting next July, the state Labor Department will adjudicate wage theft claims up to $13,000, double the current threshold.

Free state park access to tribal members

Enrolled members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe are now able to enter any of Colorado’s 43 state parks for free with a current tribal identification card. During the bill’s legislative process, the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in northeastern Utah attempted to amend it to include their members. 

By next June, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will need to expand its efforts to engage with the state’s indigenous communities about state parks, according to the bill.

Protection for transit workers

It is now misdemeanor harassment to interfere with a transit worker, such as a bus driver or train operator, while they are doing their job. Additionally, the Regional Transportation District that covers the Denver metro area is now eligible to receive part of the $350 million voters approved last year for law enforcement agencies and personnel. 

Official state mushroom designation

Colorado officially has a state mushroom: the Agaricus julius, also known as the emperor mushroom. The bill behind the designation was a project from the politics club at Horizon High School in Thornton. Colorado joins seven other states with official state mushrooms. 

Labeling for gas stoves

Retailers will need to affix warning labels on gas stoves for sale in the state that read “Understand the air quality implications of having an indoor gas stove,” with a link to a webpage from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment about the health impacts of gas stoves. Research has shown that gas stoves can lead to respiratory conditions and cancer. 

Limit on public pet sales

It is now illegal to sell a pet, advertise the sale or offer a pet for adoption on the side of the road, in a parking lot or in a public market. People and businesses licensed under the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act are still able to sell animals in public spaces. The new law does not apply to livestock sales or hunting dogs. 

Privacy for ranchers

The information of people who request compensation for destruction caused by wildlife, such as wolf killings of livestock, are not subject to open records requests. That includes the person’s name, phone number, home address, business address, personal email address and business email address. 

Information about conflict mitigation, the number of damage claims and the amount of money paid out to claimants are still subject to requests.

The bill’s legislative declaration states that ranchers have been reluctant to file claims following wolf depredations out of fear that people will contact them or go to their property to view the wolves. Colorado voters approved gray wolf reintroduction in 2020, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife began relocating wolves to the state in December 2023. Since then, there have been numerous livestock killings in Western Slope counties.

Punishment for AI generated pornographic photos

Realistic, sexually-explicit photos created by artificial intelligence are now covered under Colorado’s existing child pornography laws. It is also a crime to post computer-generated explicit photos of someone without their consent or with the intent of harming them. The new law creates a pathway for the subject of an obscene AI-generated photo to sue the person who posted the image. 

Dog breeds in rental insurance

Insurers are not allowed to refuse, cancel or increase the cost of coverage for multifamily and rental property based on the breed of dog a policy owner has. Additionally, renters in publicly-financed housing will be allowed to have up to two pets starting next year.