A proposed bill that’s working its way through the system in Colorado would mean that some bars could stay open past 2 a.m. if passed.

House Bill 26-1330 titled ‘alcohol beverages entertainment districts’ aims to make several key changes regarding how entertainment districts operate. As introduced, these changes would include removing a size restriction that limits entertainment districts to 100 acres or less, reducing the minimum square footage that a licensed premise needs to contain from 20,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet, specifying that an entertainment district can only exist within a single municipality or city and county or the unincorporated portion of a single county, and specifying that only licensed premises attached to a common consumption area are able to sell or serve alcoholic beverages for consumption within that area. Perhaps most notable, however, is the proposed change that would allow the local licensing authority to have control over the days and hours of operation for the entertainment district and licensees within that district.

The latter change could presumably mean that licensees within the entertainment district could operate outside of the 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. window that’s currently mandated for on-premise sales of alcohol in Colorado – if allowed by the local licensing authority.

At this time, the bill is under consideration by the Colorado State House. It’s set to be read on March 31 and updates may follow. Sponsors are bipartisan, including representatives Steven Woodrow (D) and Matt Soper (R) and senators Matt Ball (D) and Scott Bright (R).

Find more information about this bill or follow along with its progress here.

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