The General Assembly considered bills on a variety of agricultural issues in 2014 including agricultural labeling, agriculture oversight, taxation, and animal care. This document provides a summary of the legislation.

Prior to being discharged from the state criminal justice system, adult offenders are released from prison for a period of parole. This issue brief summarizes recent state adult parole initiatives. These include the offender reentry programs authorized in House Bill 14-1355, and the “...

According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2015 Colorado ranked 21st in the nation for the number of identity theft victims, with 123.2 victims per 100,000 population. Identity theft is generally defined as the unlawful use of personal identifying or financial information of another person to...

State legislatures have emphasized the importance of collecting deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to solve crimes. This issue brief describes legislative efforts, both in Colorado and across the country, to mandate that individuals convicted of or arrested for a crime submit a DNA sample for entry...

The purpose of this publication is to compile information on Colorado law related to sex offenses and sex offenders.  Included in this report is the following:

•     a listing of sex offenses in Colorado law;

•     information...

Colorado's child welfare system provides a range of services to protect children from abuse and neglect and to assist families in caring for their children. This issue brief provides an overview of the child welfare system in Colorado, including administration and funding, reporting and...

Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who is unable or needs assistance to care for himself or herself. It can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family...

Colorado currently administers 11 Home-and Community-Based Services Medicaid (HCBS) Waivers. This issue brief discusses the six waivers available to adults. An issue brief entitled Medicaid Waiver Programs Part I – Home- and  Community-Based Services Medicaid Waivers for Children discusses the...

Colorado was tied for the fifth highest suicide rate in the nation in 2014, the most recent year of nationally available data.  In 2015, there were 1,093 suicides among Colorado residents, which is the highest number of suicides in the state’s history.  This issue brief outlines legislative...

Presented to the Joint Health Committee on January 9, 2017, as part of the SMART Act Presentation.