Colorado extreme temperature protections under HB 26-1272
Coverage now reaches every industry and extreme cold, with no thresholds until a model plan arrives in 2028.
HB 26-1272 extended Colorado temperature protections past agriculture to indoor and outdoor workers in every industry, and to extreme cold as well as heat. What it did not do is set any temperature thresholds, rest minimums, or written plan mandate for non-agricultural employers. Data collection starts in January 2027 and a model prevention plan is due by July 1, 2028, after which binding rules become possible. Until then a Colorado non-agricultural site has federal obligations and a strong reason to keep records now.
Takeaways
- Explain why a Colorado non-agricultural log shows no state duty rows.
- Name what your federal obligations still are in the meantime.
- Know the two dates that will change this: January 2027 and July 2028.
- Start the record now so you are not building a history retroactively.
What the law actually changed
Why your Colorado log shows no state duties
What still applies today
The two dates that will change this
Extreme cold is in scope too
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a written temperature plan in Colorado now? Not under HB 26-1272 if you are non-agricultural, because the law set no written plan mandate. Agricultural employers have obligations under 7 CCR 1103-15, and every employer is subject to the federal general duty clause.
- Should I keep logs even though the state requires nothing specific? Yes. The federal heat National Emphasis Program looks for a record, and Colorado starts collecting injury and illness data in January 2027. A record that starts now is a record you have; one that starts after an inspection is not.
- Does the fourteen day acclimatization period apply now? It is an element the statute directs the division to include in the model plan due by July 2028, not a present requirement for non-agricultural employers. Colorado agriculture has its own four workday period today.
- What happens on July 2, 2028? A model plan exists and the division may begin rulemaking. Nothing becomes automatically binding on that date, but the direction of travel is clear enough to plan around.