Colorado General Assembly to Consider Roll-Back to Paid Sick Leave for Small Employers and Funding for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act.

The 2022 Legislative Session is underway in the Colorado General Assembly. Two bills have been introduced so far that could impact Colorado employers. More bills may be introduced as the session continues. In House Bill 22-1130, the legislature is being asked to consider rolling back the requirement that Colorado employers with fewer than 16 employees be required to provide paid sick leave time to their employees. If passed, this would undo paid sick leave for small Colorado employers which went into effect on January 1, 2022.

The General Assembly will also consider House Bill 22-1133 to transfer funds from the state’s general fund to the division of family and medical leave insurance (the “Division”) pursuant to the “Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act,” C.R.S. § 8-13.3-501, et seq. The Act was passed into law by Colorado voters in 2020. The transfer would be an advance on payment of premiums for state employee coverage. It does not presently appear that the bill would provide advance payment of premiums for employees working in private businesses. The funding for such premiums will go into effect on January 1, 2023, and requires Colorado employers covered by the Act to remit premiums to the fund as established under section 8-13.3-518.

Although it is too soon to know whether these bills will be enacted into law, all Colorado employers should work with qualified legal counsel to stay abreast of any changes to state laws. Contact Katie Pratt for more information.