Barre & Pilates Teacher Training Regulatory Exemptions

2026 Regular Session

Exempts pilates and barre teacher training programs and schools from Colorado’s Private Occupational Education Act, reducing their regulatory oversight.

Governor Signed

#highereducation #professions&occupations

Purpose and Intent

This bill seeks to exempt certain fitness-related teacher training from regulation under Colorado’s Private Occupational Education Act of 1981. Specifically, it would remove pilates and barre teacher training programs, schools, and related coursework from the scope of the act's regulatory framework.

Key Provisions

Exemptions Added:
The bill adds two new exemptions to the list of entities and services that are not regulated under Article 64 (Private Occupational Education Act):

Pilates teacher training courses, programs, and schools.
Barre teacher training courses, programs, and schools.

Existing Law Reference:
The exemptions would be inserted into Colorado Revised Statutes, § 23-64-104(1), identifying the types of educational institutions and services exempt from regulation under the act.

Effective Date:
The act would take effect 12:01 a.m. on the day after the 90th day following final adjournment of the 2026 legislative session. The anticipated date is August 12, 2026, assuming no adjournment sine die. If a referendum petition is filed and placed on the ballot, the act would take effect only if approved by voters in November 2026, with the effect date tied to the governor’s official declaration of the vote.

Affected Entities and People

Who is Affected:

Pilates teacher training programs and schools.
Barre (barre fitness) teacher training programs and schools.
Any other stakeholders in the private occupational education market related to pilates or barre teacher training.

What is Not Affected:

Other private occupational education providers that are currently regulated under the Private Occupational Education Act of 1981 remain outside the act’s exemption, unless explicitly listed or amended by further legislation.

Procedural and Timeline Details

Introduction and Committee:
Introduced in the Senate and referred to the Education Committee; House counterparts are listed for sponsorship but the text provided indicates referral in the Senate’s 2026 session.

Effective Date Contingencies:

Standard effective date: 90 days after final adjournment (roughly August 12, 2026), subject to passage and no referendum.
Referendum contingency: If a petition is filed and certified, the act could be delayed until its approval by voters in the November 2026 general election. In that case, the act would take effect on the governor’s official declaration of the vote tally.

Overall Impact

The bill is designed to reduce regulatory oversight for pilates and barre teacher training programs, potentially lowering compliance costs and administrative burdens for these programs.

It may shift regulatory focus away from these disciplines within the state’s framework for private occupational education, aligning pilates and barre with other exempted training activities (as listed in § 23-64-104(1) of the Colorado Revised Statutes).

If you’d like, I can add a quick comparison to current exemptions in § 23-64-104(1) to illustrate how the new exemptions would fit with existing categories.

Bill