House advances bill to ensure testing accommodations for professional exams after court ruling

Representative Soper and co-sponsor Assistant Majority Leader Bacon presented House Bill 14-17 as a corrective to a court ruling that had limited the reach of Colorado’s anti-discrimination statute for certain private testing entities. Sponsors said the bill preserves state remedies and aligns the statute with the Americans with Disabilities Act so Coloradans seeking high-stakes professional licensing exams can obtain accommodations and, if necessary, prompt state relief.

Jack Johnson of Disability Law Colorado testified in support, explaining that federal remedies exist but are practically difficult and slow, whereas a state pathway can provide faster injunctive relief when exam dates near. "At the end of the day... those people would still potentially have a federal claim. The difference... is because our state courts are much more accessible to these individuals," Johnson said.

The committee adopted a minor conceptual correction to citations and advanced the bill to the Committee of the Whole unanimously. Sponsors said the bill codifies existing ADA expectations and provides a clearer, state-level process for people who have long-established accommodations documented in their educational records.