The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Colorado allows towns to be declared abandoned and transfers $100,000 for failing water systems
Last action · May 26, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Nick Hinrichsen and 28 others
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What This Bill Does
Colorado law now allows counties, local landowners, or s to apply to the secretary of state to declare a town abandoned if it lacks governing officials, cannot hold elections, and operates critical water infrastructure. The act also authorizes the department of public health and environment to transfer up to $100,000 to the department of public safety for emergency water system operations.
Residents of severely depopulated or un-governed towns with failing water systems gain a formal process to trigger state intervention and emergency funding to maintain drinking water operations.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
town residents
Residents experience changes in how emergency maintenance and operations are handled for critical community water systems when a town is declared abandoned.
landowners
Landowners gain the legal standing to apply to the secretary of state to determine that a town is abandoned.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to have a town declared abandoned?
What conditions must a town meet to be declared abandoned?
How much money can be transferred for emergency water system maintenance?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
15 actions- May 26, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolledGovernor Signed
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorSigned by the President of the Senate
- May 21, 2026HouseFloorSigned by the Speaker of the House
- May 21, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolledSent to the Governor
- May 9, 2026HouseFloorHouse Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
- May 8, 2026HouseHouse Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
Show 9 earlier actions
- May 7, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
- May 7, 2026HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
- May 5, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Refer Unamended to Appropriations
- Apr 29, 2026SenateFloorSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
- Apr 29, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government
- Apr 28, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
- Apr 28, 2026SenateSenate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- Apr 22, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate Committee on Local Government & Housing Refer Amended to Appropriations
- Apr 8, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government & Housing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
Refer Senate Bill 26-157 to the Committee of the Whole.
Total
7
- Yes
- 7
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Show 3 earlier roll calls
Refer Senate Bill 26-157 to the Committee on Appropriations.
Total
4
- Yes
- 4
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Refer Senate Bill 26-157, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar.
Total
7
- Yes
- 7
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Refer Senate Bill 26-157, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Total
7
- Yes
- 7
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 24 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Municipal Abandonment Process
The legislation creates a structured state mechanism to formally address un-governed municipalities possessing critical public infrastructure.
Connected Entities
Sources
leg.colorado.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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