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Staff Publications

2025 January Colorado General Assembly Digital Accessibility Report

In accordance with Section 24-34-802 (1)(c)(II), C.R.S., The Colorado General Assembly Digital Accessibility Report outlines the ongoing efforts made by the staff of the legislative branch of the State of Colorado to improve and maintain a digital landscape that is inclusive and accessible to everyone, including its ongoing accessibility efforts to meet or exceed accessibility standards.

This report will be updated quarterly through July 2025.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • State Government

Session Related Publications

House Term Limits

Term Limit Information for Members of the Colorado House of Representatives

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • State Government

Staff Publications

State Government Enterprises

This memorandum provides information on state government enterprises under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution, also known as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). From FY 1993-94 through FY 2023-24, over 30 state government entities had received enterprise status for at least one fiscal year. In FY 2022-23, the most recent year for which financial data are available, enterprise revenue totaled $23.3 billion.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Fiscal Policy & Taxes
  • State Government
  • State Revenue & Budget

Staff Publications

Strategies to Reduce Fiscal Impacts of Legislation

Fiscal notes estimate the fiscal impact of legislation, including revenue impacts, state expenditures, and appropriations required. However, fiscal notes are decision-making tools for legislators, and the General Assembly is ultimately responsible for making appropriations and setting aside the state funding needed to implement legislation. This memorandum outlines several common strategies used to limit the fiscal impact of legislation, primarily expenditure impacts, and discusses how these strategies are treated in fiscal notes.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • State Government

Session Related Publications

Senate Term Limits

Term Limit Information for Members of the Colorado State Senate

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • State Government

Staff Publications

2025 April Colorado General Assembly Digital Accessibility Report

Pursuant to Section 24-34-802 (1)(c)(II), C.R.S., this report outlines the ongoing efforts of staff of the legislative branch of the state of Colorado to improve and maintain a digital landscape that meets or exceeds accessibility standards and is inclusive and accessible to all.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • State Government

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Capital Construction Legislation

During the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a number of bills affecting funding for capital construction and the duties of the Capital Development Committee (CDC).

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Capital Construction
  • State Government
  • State Revenue & Budget

Staff Publications

Legislative Council Handbook

Colorado statute establishes the Legislative Council as a body of 18 Senators and Representatives with specific functions and responsibilities (Section 2-3-301, et seq., C.R.S.).  Six senators are appointed, with the President of the Senate appointing the majority party members and the Minority Leader appointing the minority party members, all of whom must be approved by a majority of the Senate.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • State Government

Staff Publications

Overview of Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association

This memo provides an overview of PERA with a focus on the state legislature’s role in the pension system. PERA also has a wide variety of resources on its website for members, employers, and retirees.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Financial Services & Commerce
  • State Government


Staff Publications

Staff Summary LERP Committee (10/23/2014)

STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • State Government

Staff Publications

Conservation Easement Income Tax Incentives (2015)

The federal and state governments each provide tax incentives for landowners who designate their land as a conservation easement, foregoing certain use rights in order to preserve the land in perpetuity. This memorandum provides information on federal and state conservation easement tax incentives.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Fiscal Policy & Taxes
  • State Government
  • Natural Resources & Environment

Issue Briefs

Legislative Decision-Making and Colorado's Pension Plans (2013)

Like other states, Colorado offers retirement benefits to its employees through a variety of pension plans. The state's pension plans are established in law and include both employee and employer contributions, which are made in lieu of contributions to the federal Social Security program. The state's two public pension systems are the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA) and the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA).

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Financial Services & Commerce
  • State Government

Issue Briefs

Overview of the Colorado Open Records Act (2016)

The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) 1 creates a presumption in favor of public access to government documents. This issue brief addresses CORA’s two threshold questions: 1) what is and is not considered a public record; and 2) which public records are exempt from disclosure. It also briefly outlines CORA’s requirements for responding to an open records request.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Local Government
  • State Government

Issue Briefs

Colorado Judges (2016)

Colorado’s state court system is comprised of many different courts, including the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals (COA), and district courts. Colorado law also governs county courts and jurisdiction-specific courts in Denver.1 This issue brief describes the qualification requirements and appointment, retention, and disciplinary processes for Colorado judges.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Courts & Judicial
  • State Government

Staff Publications

Criteria and Procedures for the Gift or Loan of Objects of Art or Memorials (2014)

This document has been created to provide persons and organizations with information regarding the procedures and criteria established by the State Capitol Building Advisory Committee for the placement of donated or loaned art in the State Capitol Building and its grounds. It includes the application procedures, the criteria and procedures used by the Advisory Committee to evaluate proposals, along with application forms, and other relevant information.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • State Government


Issue Briefs

Capital Construction and the Role of the Capital Development Committee (2016)

The day-to-day expenses of state government are paid through the operating budget in the state's annual budget bill.  Expenses related to new construction, renovation, or maintenance of the state's capital assets are paid through the capital budget.  This issue brief outlines the types of projects and expenses defined as capital construction, the role of the Capital Development Committee (CDC) in overseeing the approval and implementation of capital projects, and funding for capital projects.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Capital Construction
  • State Government




Issue Briefs

State Procurement and Contracting

The purchase of goods and services by most executive branch agencies in Colorado is generally governed by the state procurement code and rules (code and rules).  The code and rules are designed to ensure the fair treatment of people seeking to do business with the state, to foster broad-based competition through a bidding process, and to save money on purchases made with state funds.   This issue brief outlines the agencies and types of purchases subject to the code and rules, explains the vendor selection process, discusses bidding and contracting for construction projects,

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • State Government
  • Capital Construction

Staff Publications

State Employee Payroll Schedule

This memorandum addresses questions around recent announcements and consideration of changes to the state employee payroll schedule.  Legislative Council Staff has received inquiries regarding the timing and amount of state employee payroll during the months of July and August 2018 as a result of a March 8, 2018 email from the Department of Personnel and Administration (DPA) to Executive Branch employees.  The email announces a transition in July 2018 from monthly to biweekly lag pay.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Labor & Employment
  • State Government
  • State Revenue & Budget

Budget Related Publications

Capital Development Committee FY 2016-17 Annual Report

The purpose of the CDC final report is to provide annual and historical information on the capital development process.  The 2017 final report provides a complete summary of all capital construction and controlled maintenance appropriations during the 2017 session.  A five-year history and three-year forecast of capital project funding are also included.  The report concludes with a description of other actions taken by the CDC in FY 2016-17, and a summary of 2017 legislation enacted by the General Assembly that impacts capital development funding or the capital development p

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Capital Construction
  • State Government
  • State Revenue & Budget