# Colorado HB25-1285: Veterinary Workforce Requirements Colorado HB25-1285, Veterinary Workforce Requirements, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Byron Pelton (Republican), Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Dusty Johnson (Republican) and 1 others; status signed, last action 2025-05-30 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1285-2025A - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado HB25-1285 - State: Colorado - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Veterinary Workforce Requirements - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2025-05-30, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Byron Pelton (Republican), Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Dusty Johnson (Republican), Karen McCormick (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 22 - Subjects: Health Care & Health Insurance, Professions & Occupations - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (200 yes, 40 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Veterinarians can send controlled prescriptions electronically: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Colorado-licensed veterinarians can prescribe opioids and benzodiazepines electronically under veterinary-practice rules. They must follow applicable state and federal prescription laws. The law does not set a household payment or benefit amount. - Veterinary records rules cover more facilities: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Colorado’s veterinary records rules cover a broader range of animal care facilities. Covered sites include veterinary practices and hospitals, Colorado State University’s veterinary teaching hospital, and any facility where a licensed veterinarian provides care. - Veterinary associates pay fees and keep learning: cost, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, veterinary professional associate applicants must pay a fee with their registration application. The board sets the amount, but total related fees cannot exceed its administrative costs for the associate program. The law does not set a dollar amount. Associates must also… - New veterinary career path with entry requirements: mixed, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, Colorado requires registration to practice as a veterinary professional associate. Applicants must be at least 18, hold a qualifying master’s degree in veterinary clinical care or equivalent, and pass a board-approved national exam. Veterinary technician specialists can u… - Veterinarians gain choice but need training: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, employers, corporations, directors, and officers cannot require associate supervision as a condition of a veterinarian’s job. Corporate practice rules also protect veterinarians’ independent medical judgment from control by non-veterinarian directors. Veterinarians comple… - Veterinary associates face identification and safety checks: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, associates must wear clear identification spelling out “veterinary professional associate” without abbreviations. Before treating an animal, they must introduce themselves to the client as a registered veterinary professional associate. The board can order a fitness exami… - Veterinary associates can practice under supervision: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, veterinarians can delegate animal care in writing to registered veterinary professional associates. Associates may work only with species they are trained for, within their education, experience, skills, and board-set scope. Before work starts, the veterinarian must estab… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Byron Pelton (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Dusty Johnson (Republican), House - Sponsor: Karen McCormick (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Alex Valdez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brianna Titone (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Eliza Hamrick (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Emily Sirota (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Bacon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Javier Mabrey (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Julie McCluskie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jacque Phillips (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Katie Stewart (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lorena Garcia (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lesley Smith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Regina English (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Rep. S. Bird - Cosponsor: William Lindstedt (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Cleave Simpson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Judy Amabile (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeff Bridges (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Marc Catlin (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Marc Snyder (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Rod Pelton (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-11 | House | Senate amendments: Repass | pass | 50 | 11 | | | 2025-04-11 | House | Senate amendments: Concur | pass | 50 | 11 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 32 | 2 | | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Refer House Bill 25-1285 to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 7 | 0 | | | 2025-03-26 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 50 | 15 | | | 2025-03-10 | House | Refer House Bill 25-1285, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 11 | 1 | | ## Actions (15) - 2025-05-30: Governor Signed (House) - 2025-04-30: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2025-04-29: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-11: House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (House) - 2025-04-10: House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily (House) - 2025-04-09: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2025-03-31: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources (Senate) - 2025-03-26: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2025-03-25: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (House) - 2025-03-13: House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments (House) - 2025-03-10: House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2025-02-24: Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84265/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84260/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84266/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84264/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84262/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84263/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/40805/download) ## Related bills - SB25-279: Colorado Code of Military Justice Updates (signed) - HB25-1307: Updating Technical References in Education Law (signed) - HB25-1234: Utility Consumer Protection (signed) - SB25-167: Invest State Funds to Benefit Communities (signed) - SB25-163: Battery Stewardship Programs (signed) - SB25-261: Property Tax Deferral Program Administration (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84265/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84260/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84266/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84264/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84262/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84263/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/40805/download) ## Related - [SB25-279: Colorado Code of Military Justice Updates](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-279-2025A) - [HB25-1307: Updating Technical References in Education Law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1307-2025A) - [HB25-1234: Utility Consumer Protection](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1234-2025A) - [SB25-167: Invest State Funds to Benefit Communities](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-167-2025A) - [SB25-163: Battery Stewardship Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-163-2025A) - [SB25-261: Property Tax Deferral Program Administration](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-261-2025A) - [Colorado bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado/bills) - [Colorado state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1285-2025A (as of 2026-10-16).