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Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2024 Finance, State Budget, and Taxes Legislation

During the 2024 legislative session, the General Assembly passed several bills related to finance, the state budget, and taxes.

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

Session Related Publications

2025 Fiscal Notes Response Form

This response form is provided to state agencies for responding to fiscal note information requests from Legislative Council Staff.

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


Session Related Publications

2025 Agency Expense Worksheet

This worksheet is provided to state agencies for responding to fiscal note information requests from Legislative Council Staff.

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

Budget Related Publications

Forecast December 2024

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2026-27. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

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

Issue Briefs

Smart Government Act

The State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent Government Act (SMART Act) was adopted in 2010 by House Bill 10-1119. This bill established a performance-based budgeting program.

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


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

Population Component of TABOR Limit Growth Factor

This memo presents recent Legislative Council Staff (LCS) findings regarding the implications of the current-law calculation method for population growth used to determine the TABOR growth limit, which has the effect of not adjusting the TABOR limit for population growth or decline that the Census Bureau identifies in its revised estimates. The current population growth calculation method does not usually impact the TABOR limit.

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


Staff Publications

Overview of the Fiscal Note Process

Fiscal notes are prepared by Colorado Legislative Council Staff (LCS) to provide the members of the Colorado General Assembly with the estimated impact of proposed legislation on state and local government revenue and expenditures. The fiscal note is a non-binding, decision-making tool for legislators and others to use when deliberating state policy.

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

Staff Publications

Fiscal Note FAQ's

Fiscal Note FAQ's

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

Budget Related Publications

Understanding the State Budget - The Big Picture

Each year, the General Assembly is tasked with balancing constitutional, statutory, and federal requirements with competing policy priorities, caseload pressures, and the health of the state’s economy in order to create a budget. This document is intended to serve as a primer on Colorado’s budget and some of the factors that help shape it.

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

Staff Publications

Funding Mechanisms and Fiscal Notes

This memorandum is intended for use by policymakers, legislative drafters, and budget analysts to understand the different funding mechanisms that may be used in legislation. It describes how different funding mechanisms in legislation impact the state budget and how they are shown in fiscal notes. These funding mechanisms include appropriations, transfers, diversions, and warrants on state funds, as well as fee revenue and gifts, grants, or donations. The memorandum concludes with a list of funding mechanisms for which voter approval is required.

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

Staff Publications

2025 Higher Education and Tuition Forecast

This memorandum presents the 2025 Legislative Council Staff forecast for the state public institutions of higher education. The forecast provides projections of resident and nonresident full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment and College Opportunity Fund (COF) FTE enrollment for the current fiscal year (FY 2024-25) and budget year (FY 2025-26). The forecast also includes projected tuition revenue for FY 2024-25.

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

Budget Related Publications

Forecast March 2025

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2026-27. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

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

Budget Related Publications

Report on Referendum C Revenue and Spending FY 2005-06 through FY 2024-25

This report contains the final audited figures for state revenue retained under Referendum C in the 2005‑06 through 2023-24 state fiscal years and preliminary numbers for the 2024-25 state fiscal year. It also reflects the actions of the General Assembly and Governor in spending the retained money. This report is prepared in accordance with the requirements of Referendum C, which was approved by voters in 2005.

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


Budget Related Publications

FY 2025-26 Budget Package and Long Bill Narrative

The Long Bill Narrative, which is the annual appropriations act, is prepared by staff to explain funding decisions recommended by the JBC to the rest of the General Assembly.  This document is a companion document to the actual Long Bill.  The narrative outlines budget changes based on the introduced version of the Long Bill.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Joint Budget Committee Staff
Subjects:
  • State Revenue & Budget

Staff Publications

2025 Long Bill Package Fiscal Notes

This packet includes fiscal notes for bills introduced with the FY 2025-26 Long Bill, including SB 25-207 through SB 25-270. Fiscal notes for these bills are also be available individually on each bill page on the General Assembly website.

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

Budget Related Publications

Forecast September 2024

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2024-25. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

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

Staff Publications

Higher Education Enrollment and Tuition Revenue Forecast

This memorandum presents the 2025 Legislative Council Staff forecast for the state public institutions of higher education. The forecast provides projections of resident and nonresident full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment and College Opportunity Fund (COF) FTE enrollment for the current fiscal year (FY 2024-25) and budget year (FY 2025-26). The forecast also includes projected tuition revenue for FY 2024-25.

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

Fiscal Policy & Taxes

Effective Tax Rates on Oil and Natural Gas

This memorandum provides information concerning Colorado’s severance tax structure and estimated effective severance tax rates, along with a comparison of effective rates for eight other western oil and gas producing states from 2018 to 2022.

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

Session Related Publications

Fiscal Analysts for Bills During 2025 Session

This document lists the LCS Fiscal Analyst assigned to work on the fiscal note for each bill and concurrent resolution introduced at the 2025 session. This list will be updated periodically throughout the session. If you need assistance, contact Bill Zepernick, Fiscal Notes Manager, at bill.zepernick@coleg.gov / 303-866-4777.

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

Staff Publications

Fiscal Note Reports (2025)

Fiscal Note Data Reports show the fiscal impact of all legislation currently pending before the General Assembly at the 2025 session, based on the most recent Legislative Council Staff fiscal note. Updated reports will be posted on this page approximately weekly during the legislative session. After session, final data will be posted. Fiscal data is provided in both a sortable Excel and a printable PDF format. Each report provides a summary of the impact of all pending bills together, and detailed information for individual bills by fiscal year.

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