The Colorado Office of Policy, Research and Regulatory Reform (COPRRR), part of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), has released the 2025 sunset reports. These reports, now available to the Colorado General Assembly and the public at coprrr.colorado.gov, provide recommendations on the continuation or termination of various state regulatory programs.
Patty Salazar, DORA Executive Director, stated, “Colorado strives to be at the forefront of balanced regulation and regulatory reform. Through the sunset process, we provide the General Assembly with comprehensive and thoughtful recommendations for changes to government programs. Protecting consumers while minimizing regulatory barriers for Coloradans is more important than ever.”
This year, COPRRR conducted 22 reviews of state government programs. The aim was to identify ways to reduce regulatory burdens while maintaining consumer protection. The process included gathering stakeholder feedback to find opportunities for improving organizational processes and modernizing policies in energy, workforce, and healthcare sectors. Programs under review were from DORA and other state agencies including Public Health and Environment, State, Public Safety, Human Services, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Colorado State University, and the State Forest Service.
Brian Tobias, Director of COPRRR, said, “While consumer protection is front and center in all that we do, we also seek to find the balance between protecting the public and eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens. Public participation is vital to the sunset process. When conducting sunset reviews, we strive to include as many interested parties as possible. We try to make hearing your voice as easy as possible. We implement various engagement strategies, such as accepting written comments, conducting in-person interviews, and holding town halls, among others. We also encourage you to contact us directly if you have questions or want to participate in any of our future reviews.”
Key findings from this year’s reports include recommendations to continue regulation of several professions such as physicians, physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, podiatrists, barbers and cosmetologists, bail bonding agents, and real estate brokers. Business regulations reviewed included licensure for substance abuse treatment programs handling controlled substances, subdivision developers, fire suppression contractors and inspectors, hemodialysis centers and technicians, as well as barber and cosmetology businesses; all were recommended for continued regulation.
Other reviewed functions include oversight by the Public Utilities Commission of electric and gas utilities and transportation services; regulation under the Colorado Securities Act; safety in professional boxing; regulation of pet animal care facilities; water vessel registration; and continuation of councils and task forces related to forest health and food systems. The Compliance Advisory Panel was also recommended for continuation due to federal requirements.
Programs recommended for discontinuation include the Biomass Utilization Grant Program due to limited use, the Business Intelligence Center Advisory Board as its work is largely complete, and the Veterinary Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee which has not met since 2021. The Kidney Disease Prevention and Education Task Force is set to complete its work by September 2026 and will also sunset.
Full reports and future review schedules are accessible at coprrr.colorado.gov.
