Senate adopts amendment and final passage of House Bill 1040 to remove outdated sterilization authority

The Colorado Senate approved amendment L007 and gave final passage to House Bill 1040 on March 10, 2026. The measure, carried by Representative Froehlich and Senator Cutter, removes an obsolete statutory provision that previously allowed the state to authorize sterilization of a person with an intellectual or developmental disability against their will.

Senator Cutter (speaking from the floor) described the change as a correction of an ‘‘old and outdated statute’’ and said the amendment replaces the prior language with a consent‑based standard, moving the statutory text to read in relevant part to the effect of ‘‘in the absence of a person’s informed consent.’’ The Senate adopted amendment L007 as offered and then approved final passage of the bill.

Supporters characterized the measure as restoring decision‑making rights to people with disabilities and aligning Colorado law with current standards for informed consent. On the floor, sponsors said they had refined definitions and cleanup language and that the bill had received stakeholder input during interim work and committee consideration.

There was no recorded roll-call cited in the transcript for final passage beyond the adopted voice vote; the clerk announced that the ayes had it and documented the bill as adopted. The adopted amendment and final passage move the statutory change forward for any subsequent enrollment and codification steps by the reviser of statutes.

Next steps: the bill will be enrolled and transmitted to the reviser of statutes and, if enacted as revised, will replace the prior statutory language that authorized state action against a person’s objection.