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Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 K-12 Education Legislation

During the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a variety of measures related to K-12 education in Colorado. The legislature passed laws related to student health and well-being, student and school safety, standards and assessments, school accountability, and governance and funding.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12)
  • General Assembly

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Professions and Occupations Legislation

During the 2025 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly considered several measures to change or expand the regulation of certain professions including physicians and other medical professionals, motor vehicle dealers, plumbers, electricians, and real estate appraisers. The General Assembly also passed several laws continuing the regulation of certain professions under the state sunrise and sunset review process.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Labor & Employment
  • Professions & Occupations

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Labor and Employment Legislation

During the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly considered various measures related to labor and employment, including measures related to wage and hour laws, vocational rehabilitation, and workforce development.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Labor & Employment

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Public Health and Behavioral Health Legislation

The 75th General Assembly passed numerous pieces of legislation regarding public health. While not all of the public health legislation fell into these groups, three major themes for public health were: emergency preparedness, education and transparency, and behavioral health.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Health Care & Health Insurance
  • Human Services
  • Public Health

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Higher Education Legislation

During the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a variety of measures related to higher education in Colorado. Specifically, the legislature adopted bills related to workforce development, credentials and degrees, pathways to student success, and student athlete compensation.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Higher Education

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Energy and Natural Resources Legislation

Colorado has a uniquely diverse landscape. From the plains of the eastern front to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the state’s energy profile includes coal and natural resources as well as renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and geothermal. Capitalizing on the diversity of resources and in response to increased energy demands, the General Assembly considered several measures related to energy and natural resources during the 2025 legislative session.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Energy
  • General Assembly
  • Natural Resources & Environment

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Human Services, Children, and Domestic Matters Legislation

The Colorado General Assembly passed a number of bills related to human services and families. Many of these laws were recommendations from interim committees and task forces. Others made changes to Colorado’s child welfare system, introduced guardrails around access to certain online material, and more.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Children & Domestic Matters
  • General Assembly
  • Human Services




Final/Annual Reports

2024 Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee Final Report

Section 10-22-107, C.R.S., establishes the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee (oversight committee) for guiding the implementation of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, which currently does business under the name Connect for Health Colorado (exchange), and making recommendations to the General Assembly.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Health Care & Health Insurance

Staff Publications

The Colorado Recall Process

A recall is a process that allows voters to remove and replace an elected official before the official’s term ends. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado is one of 19 states that allow for the recall of state and local elected officials.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Elections & Redistricting
  • General Assembly
  • Local Government
  • State Government

Final/Annual Reports

2024 American Indian Affairs Interim Study Committee Final Report

Submitted herewith is the final report of the American Indian Affairs Interim Study Committee. This committee was created pursuant to Interim Committee Request Letter 2024-003. The purpose of this committee is to build better relationships between American Indian communities and the legislative branch through engaging in meaningful conversations between legislators, tribal citizens, and American Indian communities.

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

Staff Publications

2025 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement Forecast

Colorado receives annual payments from tobacco manufacturers as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The Tobacco MSA was reached in 1998 between certain tobacco manufacturers (known as “participating manufacturers”) and the governments of 52 states and territories. Under the MSA, participating tobacco manufacturers were released from health‑related claims associated with their products in exchange for making perpetual annual payments to states.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Liquor, Tobacco, & Marijuana

Final/Annual Reports

Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee Final Report

Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee. The purpose of this committee is to study issues relating to opioid and substance use disorders in Colorado and examine potential solutions concerning prevention, intervention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery from opioid and other substance use disorders.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Health Care & Health Insurance
  • Public Health

Final/Annual Reports

Water Resources Review Committee Final Report

Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Water Resources Review Committee. The purpose of this committee is to oversee the conservation, use, development, and financing of Colorado's water resources.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • Natural Resources & Environment
  • Water

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of State Government Legislation (2020)

During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to its operations, state employees and retirement plans, state agencies and procurement, open records and meetings, and notarization.  Several of the bills were in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related state disaster emergency declared by the Governor in March.

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

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of Water Legislation 2020

During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to water, including water demand and conservation, water studies, instream flows, funding for water projects, and other water bills. 

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

Issue Briefs

Capital Construction and the Role of the Capital Development Committee (18-16)

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
  • General Assembly

Staff Publications

Process for Writing the Ballot Information Booklet

Article V, Section 1 (7.5), Colorado Constitution, and Section 1-40-124.5, Colorado Revised Statutes, require the Legislative Council Staff to prepare a ballot information booklet prior to each election in which a statewide issue appears on the ballot.  The booklet's purpose is to provide voters with the text, title, and a fair and impartial analysis of each statewide initiated or referred constitutional amendment, law, or question on the ballot.  The analysis must include a summary of the measure, the major arguments for and against the measure, and a brief fiscal assessment of t

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

Staff Publications

Fiscal Note Reports (2022)

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


Staff Publications

Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly (2022)

Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly: A Biographical Portrait from 1876

The Presidents and Speakers in this book are listed in chronological order by the years they held the office of President and/or Speaker. The President's term is four years and the Speaker's term is two years. Some of the Presidents and Speakers did not serve full terms, while others served more than one term.

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

Final/Annual Reports

2022 Pension Review Commission and Pension Review Subcommittee Final Report

Pursuant to Section 24-51.1-101, C.R.S., the Pension Review Commission is required to study and develop proposed legislation relating to funding and benefit design of police officers' and firefighters' pensions in the state, which are primarily managed by the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA).  In addition, the commission must study and may develop proposed legislation relating to the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA).

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

Final/Annual Reports

2022 Colorado Youth Advisory Council Review Committee

This committee was created pursuant to Section 2-2-1305.5, Colorado Revised Statutes.  The purpose of this committee is to review the COYAC's work and to recommend legislation regarding issues affecting Colorado youth.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Children & Domestic Matters
  • General Assembly