COPA's 2026 Legislative Scorecard
Our Policy Priorities
Systemic Investment Priorities
COPA seeks funding principles that align to meet the SUD service needs of Coloradans across the continuum of care. We seek a transformative and trauma-informed system that can deliver on changes in demand and is equipped to meet the needs of the entire state, whether rural, frontier, or urban.
Timely and Appropriate Reimbursement
COPA seeks to ensure fair and prompt reimbursement for behavioral health services, as well as equitable rates. Timely reimbursement supports consistent service delivery, while equitable reimbursement rates should reflect the complexity of behavioral health services.
Workforce
People are our greatest assets. COPA is invested in initiatives that help create, sustain, and retain a viable workforce. The objective of workforce development is to create economic viability for individuals, businesses, and communities connected with SUD care.
Behavioral Health Safety Net
COPA works to protect accessibility of behavioral health services by supporting community-based, rural, and frontier providers. This also means defending telehealth, culturally and linguistically relevant care, and patient affordability.
Prioritizing Treatment over Criminalization
Behavioral health treatment over criminalization to reduce the number of individuals with behavioral health disorders entering or cycling through the criminal justice system. That includes supports for re-entry, continuity of care, crisis response, de-escalation tactics and more.
Full Continuum Support for Prevention, Intervention, Treatment, Harm Reduction, and Recovery Services
The substance use and behavioral health care system is vast – and it’s because one size doesn’t fit all.
These priorities shaped our decisions to support or oppose the 20 bills we followed closely in 2026!
What We Supported
We had many bills on our radar this year related to behavioral health and substance use care, from adding sports betting restrictions to building new oversight systems for recovery residences. In total, COPA identified 20 bills as priorities this season, and we actually supported far more than we opposed. With the help of our lobbyist firm, Frontline Public Affairs, and the COPA Policy Committee, we were able to influence a good amount of bills on our priority list!
Below are a few top bills, but see the full list on our scorecard!
HB26-1271: Alcohol Impact & Recovery Enterprises
We’ve been working on this one for years now – the Alcohol Enterprise bill – but this year was the closest we’ve come to flipping the vote.
The idea of this bill is to acquire funding for behavioral health services through the very avenues that cause or contribute to those health issues or SUDs, particularly alcohol. While new taxes need to be brought to citizen voters (because of TABOR), enterprises are a bit different. Enterprise fees are approved through state policy and do not go to the people.
The goal was not to put bars or liquor stores out of business, or even to increase the price of alcohol. Rather, it was to put a very small fee on alcohol manufacturers and distributors so they could help pay the price for those needing care from their addictive products. Just how small are these fees? Half a cent per can of beer, one cent per glass of wine, and 1.6 cents per shot of spirits.
Unfortunately, HB26-1271 lost in its first committee. However, we still feel like the impact was extremely worthwhile. Several articles about the bill circulated in the news cycle. Nearly 20 people from all different backgrounds and professions showed up to testify in favor. During the committee hearing, legislators expressed their struggle in deciding whether to vote in favor of the enterprise, with both small, struggling breweries AND serious lack of behavioral health funding in mind.
All of this to say: We are not done yet! We will continue fighting for funding through diverse avenues, keeping experts at the forefront of the conversations.
HB26-1256: Procedures & Data Individual's Release from Department of Corrections
“Procedures & Data Individual’s Release from Department of Corrections,” or commonly referred to as the Re-Entry Readiness bill by us, was another one of our no-brainer priorities. This bill requires the department of corrections (DOC) to provide anyone being released with three things:
- $100 gate money
- A state-issued ID
- Transportation to their next destination
Why is this bill important to us? People are often released from the DOC with nothing to help them to stability. Without money, transportation, or a support system, people often have no other choice than to fall back into the same situations that brought them to the DOC in the first place. It is incredibly difficult to break the cycles without assistance, so that is why we prioritize this bill!
Actually, these procedures are technically already set in place, but they are not fulfilled all the time. So, this bill ensures that everyone released from the DOC receives these items.
What We Opposed
This year was unique because we didn’t need to take very many “Oppose” positions (which we are very grateful for!). However, we did oppose two bills: HB26-1330 and SB26-164. Both increase access to substances – HB-1330 by allowing bars to stay open past 2am, and SB-164 by expanding sale of THC beverages.
Following discussions of these bills, COPA made a commitment to the future of policy work. For any bills that allow new access to substances, we will fight for backend funding for providers.
The Results
It seems like our stances aligned with a lot of legislators this year! We consider any legislator with 75% or higher in alignment with our priorities. 66% of senators and 69% of representatives hit that threshold! While most are Democrats (to be expected), a couple Republicans also made the cut.
The Highlights
Our lobbyist group, Frontline Public Affairs, ensured that provider voices across the continuum of care – harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and recovery – were central to relevant bill discussions. Biweekly policy committee meetings hosted prolonged discussions containing provider expertise and planning for future courses of action.
Courtesy of FPA, see the 2026 highlights:
- Advocated diligently to preserve state recovery funding, raising awareness and correcting misinformation about the use of these funds. Unfortunately, this funding was repealed as a state budget saving measure through HB26-1378, Repeal Behavioral Health Resources.
- Led lobbying efforts on Representative Jackson’s bill (HB26-1271) to fund Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery services. We were instrumental in raising awareness about the impact of AUD and the need for related services. Despite months of thoughtful insight from our providers and multiple amendments, the bill did not move forward. Representative Jackson has indicated her interest in bringing this bill again in the 2027 session.
- Participated in the stakeholding process to amend HB26-1002, Provider Participation in Health Insurance, with adoption of many of COPA’s suggested amendments.
- Collaborated with several COPA members and Representative Rydin to amend HB26-1116, Process for People with Behavioral Health Disorder.
- Supported the innovative HB 26-1195, Psychotherapy Artificial Intelligence Restrictions.
- Aided in the rights of individuals being released from the Department of Corrections through a support position on HB26-1256.
- Contributed to an effort to oppose a bill that would have allowed bars to stay open until 4am by taking an oppose position on HB26-1330, Alcohol Entertainment Districts.
- Engaged in a new advocacy area in supporting SB26-131, Sports Betting Protections.
- Provided expert witness testimony and valuable feedback to the Behavioral Health Administration regarding recovery residences statutory changes in SB 26-113, Require Recovery Residences to Obtain Behavioral Health Administration License.
- Helped kill SB26-164 that would have allowed the sale of THC beverages.