Key point: Unable to reach an agreement on amending the Colorado AI Act during the special session, the Colorado legislature voted to delay the law’s effective date to June 30, 2026.
On August 26, the Colorado legislature ended its special session by voting to pass SB 4, which extends the Colorado AI Act’s effective date from February 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026. The bill will next head to Governor Jared Polis, who is expected to sign it into law.
The decision to extend the law’s effective date followed several days of intense negotiations during the legislature’s special session, which began on August 21. Lawmakers filed four bills to amend the first-in-the-nation AI law, but ultimately, lawmakers, civil society advocates, and a fractured technology and business lobby could not reach agreement on final compromise language.
The delay in the law’s effective date allows the legislature to revisit the issue when it convenes on January 14, 2026. The 2026 session runs through early May.
