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Colorado · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure

Proposition 135: what your vote means

Prohibit surgery on minors in response to perception of sex or gender. On every Colorado ballot. Official sources checked October 22, 2026.

Proposition 135 · Citizen-initiated statute (majority vote)

Prohibit surgery on minors in response to perception of sex or gender

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes modifying existing law by prohibiting surgery on a minor for the purpose of altering the minor’s biological sex characteristics, and, in connection therewith, prohibiting any health-care professional or other person from knowingly performing, prescribing, administering, or providing any surgery to a minor for the purpose of altering the minor’s biological sex characteristics and prohibiting the use of state or federal funds, Medicaid reimbursement, or insurance coverage to pay for this type of surgery?

Ballot title as printed in the 2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book), Colorado Legislative Council Staff.

A YES vote means:

Surgery on minors to alter biological sex characteristics in response to a minor’s perception of sex or gender would be prohibited, and government funds and health insurance could not pay for it.

A NO vote means:

Current Colorado law on access to these surgeries, including coverage by public and private health insurance, stays as it is.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: minors, their families, health care professionals, and insurers.
  • Taxes and fees: none.
  • Fiscal impact (Legislative Council Staff): minimal state and local costs to update rules and policies; possible minimal savings in state health programs.

Official arguments, summarized

Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.

Argument for

Supporters say minors lack the maturity to make permanent medical decisions, that less invasive care should be used until adulthood, and that more long-term data is needed on these surgeries.

Argument against

Opponents say the ban is overly broad and could limit other surgeries for minors, creates uncertainty for patients, doctors, and insurers, and that such decisions belong to patients, families, and providers.

Arguments for and against Proposition 135, 2026 Blue Book, Colorado Legislative Council Staff (PDF, p. 60)

Who supports it and who opposes it

These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.

Who supports it

Who opposes it

Official sources

SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.