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Senate advances triennial-review bill to raise retail food inspection fees over three years
Summary
Senate Finance moved SB 25-285 to Appropriations after sponsors and stakeholders described a triennial review process that recommended phased fee increases to fund local retail food inspections, which now cover roughly 40% of program costs.
Senate Finance on Oct. 12 voted to advance Senate Bill 25-285, which implements the recommendations of Colorados triennial review of the retail food program and phases in increased retail food establishment license fees to better fund inspections and compliance assistance.
Sponsor testimony said the retail food inspection program currently funds about 40% of required workload through fees, creating inspection backlogs that raise public-health risks. The bill requires the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to convene stakeholders every three years to review the retail food program and adjust license fees as needed. The most recent triennial review, completed in November 2024, recommended a phased fee increase of 25% in 2026, 20% in 2027 and 20% in 2028, with stakeholder agreement balancing industry and county-government interests.
Jeff Lawrence, director of CDPHEs Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability, testified the fee increases are intended to reduce inspection backlogs and support timely compliance assistance. He cited national estimates of foodborne illness and urged that timely inspections and education prevent illness and business closures.
Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said the associations members were involved in the stakeholder process and supported the compromise because it improves consistency of inspections statewide and reduces enforcement focus on good actors while permitting inspectors to target repeat violators.
Tom Gonzalez, Public Health Director for Larimer County and past president of the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, said the proposed fee schedule would bring local programs closer to full cost recovery, estimating fee coverage could rise to about 78to 80 percent after three years. Gonzalez said Larimer County currently offsets a gap with about $580,000 in county funding.
After testimony from industry and local public-health witnesses and no committee amendments, the committee moved SB 25-285 to Appropriations with unanimous support recorded in the committee roll call. Sponsors and witnesses urged the Senate to implement the triennial-review recommendations without amendment.
