FY 2026-27 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 ...

Agricultural Pesticide Use in Colorado

This issue brief discusses pesticides, including use in Colorado, detection in water, and costs

Regulations for Electronic Participation in Joint Committee Meetings

Policy of the Executive Committee Pursuant to Section 2-3-303 (2)(h)(I)(B), C.R.S.

Colorado's Instream Flow Program

The instream flow (ISF) program was created by legislation in 1973, which authorized the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to appropriate or acquire water rights of natural streams and lakes to preserve the nat...

Senate Term Limits

Term Limit Information for Members of the Colorado State Senate.

Treatment of Tax Credit Triggers in Fiscal Notes

Legislative Council Staff (LCS) fiscal notes estimate a bill’s fiscal impact relative to current law. There are four tax credits in current law, known as triggered tax credits, whose availability or amounts are depend...

Fiscal Note FAQ's

Fiscal Note FAQ's

Forecast March 2026

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2027-28. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's high...

Senate Committees of Reference

2026 Senate Committees of Reference Membership

Agricultural Data Sharing

Until the 1980s, farming practices relied heavily on shared knowledge, experience, and intuition. The introduction of precision agriculture – the use of technology and automation to make farming more efficient – both ...

Glossary of Common Public Health Terms

These common public health definitions were adapted from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.

FY 2026-27 Legislative Department Budget Narrative Summary

This narrative describes the Legislative Department’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026-27.

2026 Higher Education and Tuition Forecast

This memorandum presents the 2026 Legislative Council Staff forecast for the state public institutions of higher education. The forecast provides projections of resident and nonresident full-time equivalent (FTE) stud...

Alternative Transportation Options Tax Credit

Report No. 2026-TE1

Data Center Impacts on the Environment, Public Health, and Energy Costs

Data centers are growing rapidly across the United States. They require large amounts of electricity for computational power and water to cool the computer systems. This memorandum explores the impacts of data centers...

Social Determinants of Health

The concept of social determinants of health originated nearly 200 years ago, when philosopher and businessman Friedrich Engels identified living, working, and environmental conditions as primary causes of morbidity (...

Medicaid Appeals in Colorado: Data on Prior Authorization Denials, Appeals, and Outcomes

Using data from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) on Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program), this memo reviews the number of denials of prior authorization requests, the n...

Raw Milk and Public Health

This memo analyzes the public health implications of raw milk consumption, noting that while proponents cite perceived taste and nutritional benefits, scientific evidence shows unpasteurized dairy products cause signi...

Anatomy of a Bill

Regulation of Mobile Home Parks

This issue brief provides an overview of provisions of state law concerning mobile homes, including recent changes regarding landlord responsibilities and renter protections.

Navigating the GLP-1 Landscape: Evidence-Based Insights

This memo covers the clinical, demographic, coverage, and regulatory landscapes of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists as of early 2026. It details the resolution of previous drug shortages, the subseque...

Electric Lawn Equipment Credit Tax Expenditure Evaluation Update

Report No. 2025-TE14-ANote: The original tax credit evaluation is available HERE.

House Term Limits

Term Limit Information for Members of the Colorado House of Representatives

Marijuana Revenue in the State Budget

This memorandum answers common questions about how revenue from the marijuana industry fits into Colorado’s state budget. Colorado collected $231.1 million from the marijuana industry in FY 2024-25 primarily from thre...

2026 Senate Committee Schedule