A week and a half into the legislative session and already 110 bills, memorials and resolutions have been introduced, most of which were introduced on day one.
In both the House and Senate, the first bills to be introduced center around two things: housing and local government.
In the Senate, the prestigious first bill is sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts authorizes counties to utilize revenue generated by ad valorem taxes in the county's general fund for housing authorities and/or workforce housing (SB26-001, Workforce Housing & Housing Tax Credit). The inspiration coming to Senator Roberts from Summit County.
Meanwhile, in the House, this honor was given to Representative Andrew Boesenecker & Javier Mabrey for HB26-1001, Housing Developments on Qualifying Properties. The bill may sound familiar, as it is a re-attempt of 2025's HB25-1169, with one significant omission - religious institutions.
The 2026 version still requires local governments to utilize an "administrative approval" process for housing development on land owned by a "nonprofit organization with a demonstrated history of providing affordable housing", school districts, state colleges/universities, public housing authorities, and transit authorities.
Of course, these are not all of the bills focusing on housing nor local government, but it does indicate the legislature's continued focus on housing for the 2026 Session.
