Colorado Automated Decision-Making Technology Act (SB 26-189) — Replaces Colorado AI Act, Effective Jan. 1, 2027
Colorado · Colo. SB 26-189 (2026), signed May 14, 2026, eff. January 1, 2027
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB 26-189 on May 14, 2026, repealing and replacing the original Colorado AI Act (SB 24-205) before it could take effect. The replacement law creates a disclosure-focused framework for 'Automated Decision-Making Technology' (ADMT) — a narrower category than the prior law's 'high-risk AI' — applicable to consequential decisions in employment, housing, healthcare, credit, education, insurance, and government services. The original Colorado AI Act had been blocked by a federal court on constitutional grounds days before the replacement was passed. The new ADMT Act takes effect January 1, 2027.
Technical detail
Colorado SB 26-189, 'Automated Decision-Making Technology' (ADMT) Act, signed May 14, 2026, eff. January 1, 2027. Repeals and replaces SB 24-205. Key changes: (1) 'High-risk AI system' → 'ADMT' (must 'materially influence' a decision rather than merely be a 'substantial factor'); (2) Eliminated mandatory risk-management programs, annual impact assessments, and developer duty of care; (3) Disclosure-first model: consumer notice at point of interaction, plain-language ADMT description within 30 days of adverse outcome; (4) Developer documentation: intended uses, training data categories, known limitations, human-review instructions; (5) 60-day pre-enforcement AG cure period (sunsets Jan. 1, 2030); (6) 3-year record retention; (7) Explicit liability allocation between developers and deployers for antidiscrimination law violations. Senate vote: 34-1; House vote: 57-6. Small-business exemptions retained.
Who is protected: Colorado consumers subject to ADMT-influenced consequential decisions in employment, housing, credit, healthcare, education, insurance, and government services
Who must comply: Developers and deployers of ADMT systems used to make or materially influence consequential decisions affecting Colorado consumers
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Colorado |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2027-01-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-05-14 |
| Citation | Colo. SB 26-189 (2026), signed May 14, 2026, eff. January 1, 2027 |
| Enforced by | Colorado Attorney General (60-day cure period before enforcement; cure-period provision sunsets Jan. 1, 2030) |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | AG enforcement; civil penalties under Colorado consumer protection statutes; explicit liability allocation for antidiscrimination violations |
| Topics | automated decision-making · AI hiring and employment · consumer protection · AI disclosure and transparency |
| Last verified | 2026-06-28 |
| Official source | SB26-189 — Automated Decision-Making Technology — Colorado General Assembly ↗ |
More AI rules in Colorado
- Colorado AI Act (repealed) · Repealed / replaced
- SB 26-189 (Colorado ADMT Law) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- CO Insurance Algorithmic Discrimination Law · In effect
- Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) · In effect
- CO Candidate Deepfake Disclosure Law · In effect
- CO Intimate Digital Depictions Act (SB25-288) · In effect
Related automated decision-making rules elsewhere
- FTC Act Section 5 (unfair/deceptive AI) · In effect
- FCRA (AI in credit & background checks) · In effect
- ECOA / Regulation B (AI credit discrimination) · In effect
- Title VII / ADA (AI hiring) · In effect
- ACA § 1557 (AI in patient care) · In effect
- Federal AI Executive Orders · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction — every entry must carry a verifiable official source.