Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301

Definitions

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As used in parts 3 to 10 of this article 34, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Age" means a chronological age of at least forty years. (2) "Agency" or "state agency" means any board, bureau, commission, department, institution, division, section, or officer of the state. (3) "Basic access" or "basic accessibility" constitute public safety issues and mean the general practice of making information, activities, and environments sensible, meaningful, usable, and safe for as many people as possible. (4) "Commission" means the Colorado civil rights commission created in section 24-34- 303. (5) "Commissioner" means a member of the Colorado civil rights commission. (6) "Director" means the director of the Colorado civil rights division created in section 24-34-302. (7) "Disability" has the same meaning as set forth in the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101 et seq., and its related amendments and implementing regulations. (8) "Division" means the Colorado civil rights division, created in section 24-34-302. (9) "Gender expression" means an individual's way of reflecting and expressing the individual's gender to the outside world, typically demonstrated through appearance, dress, and behavior. (10) "Gender identity" means an individual's innate sense of the individual's own gender, which may or may not correspond with the individual's sex assigned at birth. (11) "Housing" means a building, structure, vacant land, or part thereof offered for sale, lease, rent, or transfer of ownership; except that "housing" does not include any room offered for rent or lease in a single-family dwelling maintained and occupied in part by the owner or lessee of the dwelling as the owner's or lessee's household. (12) "Housing accommodations" means any real property or portion thereof that is used or occupied, or intended, arranged, or designed to be used or occupied, as the home, residence, or sleeping place of one or more persons but does not include any single family residence, the occupants of which rent, lease, or furnish for compensation not more than one room in that residence. (13) "Individual with a disability" means an individual with a disability or disabilities. (14) "Marital status" means a relationship or a spousal status of an individual, including, but not limited to, being single, cohabitating, engaged, widowed, married, in a civil union, or legally separated, or a relationship or a spousal status of an individual who has had or is in the process of having a marriage or civil union dissolved or declared invalid. (15) (a) "Person" means one or more individuals, limited liability companies, partnerships, associations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, receivers, or the state of Colorado and all of its political subdivisions and agencies. (b) For the purposes of part 5 of this article 34, "person" does not include any private club not open to the public that, as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes, provides lodgings that it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, unless the club has the purpose of promoting discrimination in the matter of housing against any person because of disability, race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, national origin, or ancestry. (16) "Place of public accommodation" or "public accommodation" has the same meaning as set forth in Title III of the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12181 (7), and its related amendments and implementing regulations. (17) "Protective hairstyle" includes such hairstyles as braids, locs, twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, Afros, and headwraps. (18) "Public entity" means: (a) Any state or local government; or (b) Any department, agency, special district, or other instrumentality of a state or local government. (19) "Public transportation service" means a common carrier of passengers or any other means of public conveyance or modes of transportation, including, but not limited to, airplanes, motor vehicles, railroad trains, motor buses, streetcars, boats, or taxis. (20) "Qualified individual with a disability" or "individual with a disability" has the same meaning as set forth in the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12131, and its related amendments and implementing regulations. (21) "Race" includes hair texture, hair type, hair length, or a protective hairstyle that is commonly or historically associated with race. (22) "Respondent" means any person, agency, organization, or other entity against whom a charge is filed pursuant to any of the provisions of parts 3 to 8 of this article 34. (23) "Service animal" has the same meaning as set forth in the implementing regulations of Title II and Title III of the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101 et seq. (24) "Sexual orientation" means an individual's identity, or another individual's perception thereof, in relation to the gender or genders to which the individual is sexually or emotionally attracted and the behavior or social affiliation that may result from the attraction. (25) "Trainer of a service animal" means a person who individually trains a service animal.

Source: L. 79: Entire part R&RE, p. 923, § 3, effective July 1. L. 86: (1) R&RE and (1.5) and (1.6) added, p. 930, §§ 1, 2, effective May 8. L. 89: (4) amended, p. 1037, § 1, effective July 1. L. 90: (5) amended, p. 447, § 13, effective April 18. L. 92: (4)(b)(I) amended, p. 1121, § 1, effective July 1. L. 93: (2.5) added and (4) amended, p. 1655, § 59, effective July 1. L. 2008: (7) added, p. 1593, § 2, effective May 29. L. 2013: (4.5) added, (SB 13-011), ch. 49, p. 168, § 26, effective May 1; (1) amended, (HB 13-1136), ch. 168, p. 554, § 3, effective August 7. L. 2014: Entire section amended, (SB 14-118), ch. 250, p. 974, § 1, effective August 6. L. 2020: IP and (5.3) amended and (5.1) and (5.8) added, (HB 20-1048), ch. 8, p. 19, § 10, effective September 14. L. 2021: (5.4) amended, (HB 21-1110), ch. 402, p. 2675, § 1, effective June 30; (3.3) and (3.5) added and (5)(b) and (7) amended, (HB 21-1108), ch. 156, p. 883, § 2, effective September 7. L. 2023: Entire section amended, (HB 23-1296), ch. 269, p. 1597, § 2, effective May 25. L. 2024: (21) amended, (HB 24-1451), ch. 354, p. 2413, § 8, effective June 3.

Editor's note: Section 10 of chapter 354 (HB 24-1451), Session Laws of Colorado 2024, provides that the act changing this section applies to conduct occurring on or after June 3, 2024.

Cross references: (1) For the legislative declaration contained in the 2008 act enacting subsection (7), see section 1 of chapter 341, Session Laws of Colorado 2008. (2) For the short title ("Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2020" or "CROWN Act of 2020") and the legislative declaration in HB 20-1048, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 8, Session Laws of Colorado 2020. (3) For the legislative declaration in HB 21-1108, see section 1 of chapter 156, Session Laws of Colorado 2021.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 54 cases (9 in the last 5 years), 1975–2026 · leading case: Colorado Civil Rights Commission v. North Washington Fire Protection District
Colorado Civil Rights Commission v. North Washington Fire Protection District (1989) colo · cites it 44× “The terms “physical impairment,” “major life activities,” and “is regarded as having an impairment,” while not defined in section 24-34-301, are defined in Rule 60.”
Gamble v. Levitz Furniture Co. of the Midwest (1988) coloctapp · cites it 16× “Gamble contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because it misconstrued the statute defining “handicap,” § 24-34-301(4), C.R.S. (1982 Repl.Vol.10), to require him to satisfy a three-part test: that he has a physical impairment, and that he has a record of…”
Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents (2000) scotus · cites it 2× “1999); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301 et seq. (1998);Conn.”
Continental Title Co. v. District Court in & for the City & County of Denver (1982) colo · cites it 4× “The complaint charged that Continental had committed a discriminatory and unfair employment practice by discharging Wilhelm in violation of his rights under the Colorado Antidis-crimination Act of 1957 (Antidiscrimination Act), section 24-34-301 et seq., C.R.S.1973. 1 The…”
Colorado Civil Rights Commission Ex Rel. Ramos v. Regents of the University of Colorado (1988) colo · cites it 7× “(1982), and has similarly defined “person” to include one or more individuals, corporate and other forms of business associations, and the state of Colorado and all political subdivisions and agencies of the state, § 24-34-301(5), 10 C.”
Williams v. Department of Public Safety (2015) coloctapp · cites it 3× “¶29        Although section 24-34-301, C.R.S. 2015, does not define discrimination, the term has a well-understood meaning in the employment context.”
Kodish v. United Airlines, Inc. (1979) cod · cites it 4× “Although Colorado does not appear to have an age discrimination statute — the Colorado Antidiscrimination Act of 1957, Colo.Rev.Stat. §§ 24-34-301, et seq. (1973), applies only to discrimination due to “race, creed, color, sex, national origin, or ancestry” — the federal Age…”
Ward v. Department of Natural Resources (2008) coloctapp · cites it 2× “” Section 24-34-301(2.5)(a), C.R.S. 2007. “Substantially limits” means either “[ujnable to perform a major life activity that the average person in the general population can perform” or “[significantly restricted as to the condition, manner or duration under which an individual…”
Tesmer v. COLORADO HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASS'N. (2006) coloctapp · cites it 2× “” See § 24-34-301(2.5)(a), CRS 2005. A “disability” includes a mental impairment, which is “any mental or psychological disorder such as developmental disability, organic brain syndrome, mental illness, or specific learning disabilities.”
Pulcino v. Federal Express Corp. (2000) wash “1461 ) (West); Colorado ( Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301 (2.5) (Bradford)); Delaware (Del.”
Caspar v. Lucent Technologies, Inc. (2003) cod · cites it 2× “; Colo.Rev.Stat. §§ 24-34-301, et seq. As Caspar confirms by her proposed jury instructions, however, the wrongful discharge claim would be virtually identical to her Title VII claim.”
Silverstein v. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Services Corp. (1979) coloctapp · cites it 2× “Nor do we agree with plaintiff's contention that the intent of the General Assembly in enacting the state act in 1971 is exhibited by the 1977 amendments to the Colorado Antidiscrimination Act of 1957, § 24-34-301 et seq., C.R.S. 1973 (1978 Cum.”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301(4) — 9 cases
Colorado Civil Rights Commission v. North Washington Fire Protection District (1989) colo “The terms “physical impairment,” “major life activities,” and “is regarded as having an impairment,” while not defined in section 24-34-301, are defined in Rule 60.”
Gamble v. Levitz Furniture Co. of the Midwest (1988) coloctapp “Gamble contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment because it misconstrued the statute defining “handicap,” § 24-34-301(4), C.R.S. (1982 Repl.Vol.10), to require him to satisfy a three-part test: that he has a physical impairment, and that he has a record of…”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301(5) — 2 cases
Colorado Civil Rights Commission Ex Rel. Ramos v. Regents of the University of Colorado (1988) colo “(1982), and has similarly defined “person” to include one or more individuals, corporate and other forms of business associations, and the state of Colorado and all political subdivisions and agencies of the state, § 24-34-301(5), 10 C.”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301(7) — 1 case
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-301(8) — 1 case
Conte v. Frazar (2025) coloctapp
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.