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The 2026 legislative session has ended! We have so enjoyed representing the Colorado Dental Hygienists’ Association (CODHA) at the Capitol again this year.

Following last year’s landmark passage of the Dental Practice Act Sunset legislation, the 2026 session was largely defined by implementation, defense of those hard-fought victories, and continued positioning of CODHA as one of the Capitol’s most sophisticated and respected professional associations.

The success of SB25-194 continued to reverberate throughout the Capitol this year. CODHA was able to secure every one of its major policy priorities during the 2025 sunset process — including expanded prescribing authority, vaccine administration authority, neuromodulator authority under defined circumstances, and clarity around independent practice. The successful implementation and defense of those wins remained a major focus throughout the 2026 legislative session.

At the same time, the state budget environment proved extraordinarily difficult this year, with unprecedented fiscal constraints forcing painful reductions across numerous healthcare and safety net programs.

Upon release of the 2026 budget package, CODHA worked alongside coalition partners, legislators, and stakeholders to help mitigate cuts to Cover All Coloradans and the accompanying dental benefit. While it ultimately proved impossible to prevent all reductions to this critical program, CODHA played a critical role in raising awareness around the value of these services and the importance of preserving access to oral healthcare for vulnerable populations throughout Colorado.

The issue of foreign-trained professionals also reemerged as a significant issue this session. The conversation first arose during the sunset review for the Division of Professions and Occupations, where CODHA successfully worked to remove a concerning DORA recommendation prior to introduction of the legislation. However, the issue resurfaced again late in session through a last-minute effort from DORA and legislative sponsors that would have created sweeping changes to the credentialing of foreign-trained professionals not only in the Dental Practice Act, but professional practice acts regulated by DORA more broadly.

In an extremely compressed and politically challenging environment, CODHA worked closely with coalition partners to secure amendments that significantly mitigated the most harmful impacts of the proposal. While the coalition opposing the language ultimately became quite large, CODHA and the Colorado Dental Association were instrumental in laying the groundwork and helping organize early opposition to the effort.

CODHA also once again demonstrated its reputation as a thoughtful and collaborative partner in the legislative arena through its work supporting the Colorado Dental Association on HB26-1070, legislation aimed at strengthening health insurance protections impacting dental professionals.

Additionally, CODHA joined many voices this session in expressing hesitation regarding SB26-130, legislation aimed at regulating medical spas and certain cosmetic procedures.

While the organization, like many stakeholders, recognized there are likely legitimate issues to be addressed within that industry, there was significant concern surrounding the lack of meaningful stakeholder engagement prior to introduction and the decision to broadly implicate multiple licensed professions without sufficient vetting or collaboration. Ultimately, the bill did not proceed following widespread concern raised by practitioners, professional organizations, and impacted entities across the healthcare community.

Overall, CODHA’s credibility, political capital, and relationships at the Capitol remain exceptionally strong. The organization continues to be viewed as pragmatic, highly prepared, and solutions-oriented, and its successful navigation of both implementation and defensive fights this year further strengthened its standing among legislators, agencies, and stakeholders alike.

Be sure to review our full 2026 Legislative Report and 2026 Budget Report for more insights and perspective on the 2026 legislative session. This year is an election year, and we have put together a 2026 election candidate database. These are all linked here and can also be found in your Client Resources folder.

We look forward to continuing our work together over the interim as we help shape CODHA’s priorities for the years ahead.

All our best,