Colorado · 2025 Regular Session · Bill
SB 25-053: Protect Wild Bison
Enacted Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
SB 25-053 is a bill introduced in the Colorado Senate on January 15, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Protect Wild Bison. Primary sponsor: Elizabeth Velasco (Democratic), Junie Joseph (Democratic), Jessie Danielson (Democratic). It lists 22 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (May 22, 2025): Governor Signed.
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.
The act classifies bison as big game unless the bison are livestock. Classifying bison as wildlife means that hunting or taking one is illegal unless authorized by rule of the parks and wildlife commission. The act also clarifies that "wildlife" does not include privately owned cattle, including bison legally reduced to captivity or bison that have escaped lawful captivity, or bison owned by or lawfully reduced to captivity by an Indian tribe. The fee for issuing a bison hunting license is set at $374.22 for a resident and $2,756.74 for a nonresident. The penalty for illegal possession of wild bison is a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $100,000, or imprisonment for not more than one year in the county jail, and an assessment of 20 license suspension points. The penalty for illegally killing or capturing a bison is a fine of $10,000. The value of a bison is set at $1,000 for the purposes of recovering the value of a bison that is illegally killed or captured. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 22
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Velasco | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 57 |
| Junie Joseph | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 10 |
| Jessie Danielson | Primary sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 22 |
| Judy Amabile | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 18 |
| Matt Ball | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 31 |
| Jeff Bridges | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 26 |
| Kyle Brown | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 12 |
| James Coleman | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 33 |
| Lisa Cutter | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 20 |
| Monica Duran | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 23 |
| Tony Exum | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 11 |
| Julie Gonzales | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 34 |
| Jamie Jackson | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 41 |
| D. Michaelson Jenet | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Iman Jodeh | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 29 |
| Cathy Kipp | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 14 |
| Chris Kolker | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 16 |
| Mandy Lindsay | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 42 |
| Janice Marchman | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 15 |
| M. Rutinel | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Tom Sullivan | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 27 |
| Alex Valdez | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 5 |
| Katie Wallace | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 17 |
| Mike Weissman | Co-sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 28 |
| F. Winter | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Governor Signed
- Signed by the President of the Senate
- Sent to the Governor
- Signed by the Speaker of the House
- House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
- House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
- House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
- House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Refer Unamended to Appropriations
- Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
- Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources
- Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
Showing 12 most recent of 15 actions. Full history