# Colorado SB26-039: Fire and Police Pension Association Disability and Survivor Benefits Colorado SB26-039, Fire and Police Pension Association Disability and Survivor Benefits, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), Byron Pelton (Republican), Marc Snyder (Democratic) and 1 others; status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-039-2026A - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado SB26-039 - State: Colorado - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Fire and Police Pension Association Disability and Survivor Benefits - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-27 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), Byron Pelton (Republican), Marc Snyder (Democratic), Rick Taggart (Republican) - Cosponsors: 42 - Subjects: Local Government, State Government - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (186 yes, 7 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Higher disability payments for qualifying public workers: benefit, high. Within five years of the applicable disability finding or original disablement date, the Association can order another medical review. A total-disability finding raises occupational disability payments to the total-disability level: 70% of annual base salary before retirement. Total-disability paym… - Annual payment increases for surviving families: benefit, medium. The Board reviews survivor payments each year, with the new amount effective October 1 for the next 12 months. After at least 12 calendar months of payments, it can increase the original benefit by up to 3% per full year. The Board decides the actual increase. This review replaces any other annual… - Simpler disability reviews for public workers: benefit, low. The Association no longer must obtain three independent medical exams for every disability applicant. It can consider relevant evidence, including physician reports, with advice from a medical advisor hired by the Board. The Board can also set an appeal process that does not require review by the B… - State funding supports older workers' benefits: benefit, low. The state funds death and disability benefits for members hired before January 1, 1997. The payment schedule provides $6.65 million on July 1, 2022 and again on July 1, 2023. It provides $2.05 million each July 1 from 2025 through 2059, totaling $85.05 million across the schedule. The 2022 payment… - Disability eligibility limits for police and firefighters: cost, high. Covered members must file the approved disability application within 365 days after their last covered payroll day. Normal-retirement eligibility, deferred-retirement participation, or age 55 with 25 years in a money purchase plan blocks eligibility. New hires must provide a complete health history… - Disability recipients face exams and training requirements: cost, high. Members must attend required medical exams and provide information needed to check benefit eligibility. Refusing exams, withholding information, or blocking access suspends benefit rights; payments coming due during that period are barred. Continued refusal after an Association or hearing-officer d… - Lower payments when total disability ends: cost, high. Medical review or other evidence can show that a member can again do substantial paid work. When total disability ends, the Association changes the member's status to permanent occupational disability. The standard benefit drops from 70% to 50% of annual base salary. - Police and fire reemployment ends disability payments: cost, high. Disability payments stop when a recipient takes a qualifying salaried police or fire protection job in any jurisdiction. This applies before the Association determines that occupational disability has ended. The full-time job must normally involve at least 1,600 hours per calendar year and directly… - Retirement payments reduce family survivor checks: cost, medium. Covered line-of-duty survivor benefits are reduced when spouses or children also receive money from the member's money purchase plan. The reduction uses a calculated equivalent value for regular payments or lump sums, capped by the statutory contribution-rate limit. Payments from specified separate… - Line-of-duty survivor checks and family sharing rules: mixed, high. For qualifying duty-related active-service deaths, spouses becoming eligible on or after October 15, 2002 receive 70% of last monthly base salary. Without a spouse, children in the member's home receive 70%; children outside receive 40% plus 15% per additional child, capped at 70%. Supplemental pay… - Return-to-work rights with disability payment limits: mixed, high. After occupational disability ends, employers must restore members to an available former job, equal-base-pay job, or another job they accept. Benefits stop upon return or refusal of a former or equal-base-pay job, but not merely for refusing a different, lower-paid job. Without a suitable vacancy,… - Survivor checks and limits for worker families: mixed, high. After an eligible member dies in active service or on temporary occupational disability, spouses and dependent children receive non-line-of-duty survivor payments. Payments equal 40% of last monthly base salary for a spouse alone, spouse with one child, or one or two children alone. The rate is 50%… - Temporary disability counts toward worker retirement: mixed, high. Time on temporary occupational disability counts toward normal retirement's age and service rules. Members reaching those requirements move to normal retirement, and temporary disability payments end. Returning to active service also triggers a retirement-plan transfer and service credit for months… - Military leave coverage with benefit offsets: mixed, medium. Members can retain death and disability coverage during military service leave authorized by the Board. Board rules set leave-length limits and how coverage costs are assessed. Military benefits received because of death or disability during that leave reduce plan payments to members or survivors.… - Contributions fund newer public workers' coverage: mixed, low. Employers must contribute for eligible members hired on or after January 1, 1997, supporting death and disability coverage. The 2021 contribution cap was 3% of salary; later annual rate changes cannot exceed 0.2 percentage points. The Board bases adjustments on annual financial reviews, and unfunde… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), House - Sponsor: Byron Pelton (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Marc Snyder (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Rick Taggart (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bob Marshall (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brianna Titone (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Chad Clifford (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Cecelia Espenoza (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Eliza Hamrick (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Bacon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jarvis Caldwell (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jamie Jackson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Julie McCluskie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jacque Phillips (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jenny Willford (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kenny Nguyen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Katie Stewart (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michael Carter (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Meg Froelich (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mandy Lindsay (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Manny Rutinel (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Naquetta Ricks (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Regina English (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ryan Gonzalez (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rebekah Stewart (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ron Weinberg (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Sean Camacho (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sheila Lieder (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ty Winter (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Kolker (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Judy Amabile (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeff Bridges (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: John Carson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie Gonzales (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kyle Mullica (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Katie Wallace (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lisa Cutter (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Matt Ball (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Tony Exum (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: William Lindstedt (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-24 | Senate | House amendments: Concur | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-03-24 | Senate | House amendments: Repass | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-03-23 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 63 | 1 | | | 2026-03-12 | House | Refer Senate Bill 26-039, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 10 | 0 | | | 2026-03-12 | House | Adopt amendment L.002 | fail | 4 | 6 | | | 2026-02-10 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Refer Senate Bill 26-039 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. | pass | 9 | 0 | | ## Actions (15) - 2026-04-06: Governor Signed (House) - 2026-03-27: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-03-26: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-26: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-03-24: Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (Senate) - 2026-03-23: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-03-20: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (House) - 2026-03-17: House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments (House) - 2026-03-12: House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2026-02-11: Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance (House) - 2026-02-10: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/09/2026 - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111523/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113707/download) - House Finance Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113328/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110989/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111638/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113604/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113527/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114188/download) ## Related bills - HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture (signed) - HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements (signed) - HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests (signed) - SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise (signed) - HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs (signed) - HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111523/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113707/download) - [House Finance Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113328/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110989/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111638/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113604/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113527/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114188/download) ## Related - [HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1250-2026A) - [HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1298-2026A) - [HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1414-2026A) - [SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-155-2026A) - [HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1429-2026A) - [HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1430-2026A) - [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-SB26-039-2026A (as of 2026-10-16).