Forecast March 2020

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2019-20. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's high...

2019 Cost of Living Study - Corona Insights (2020)

2019 Colorado School District Cost of Living Analysis

Colorado Health Insurance Mandates

This memorandum provides information on Colorado's mandated health insurance benefits. Table 1, Colorado Health Insurance Mandates, provides a description of current state laws governing insurance benefits.  The manda...

Consumer Data Privacy Laws (20-08)

This issue brief provides an overview of consumer data privacy, describes applicable federal laws, and summarizes recent state legislation proposed to strengthen consumer data privacy laws.

Colorado Legislative Rules 2019

The handbook is divided into four sections, 1:  Rules of the House of Representatives; 2:  Rules of the Senate; 3:  Joint Rules of the Senate and House and Joint Session Rules; and 4:  Colorado Constitution.  This sec...

Voter Service and Polling Centers (20-06)

In 2013, Colorado eliminated precinct polling places and established voter service and polling centers (VSPCs).  This issue brief outlines the services provided at VSPCs, location factors, VSPC hours, and staffing req...

Abuse of Corpse Crimes in Other States

This memorandum addresses abuse of corpse laws in the 50 states.  While the vast majority of states have enacted abuse of corpse or other related laws, they differ in definition and crime classification.  For example,...

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 ...

Veterans Community Living Centers in Colorado

This memorandum provides information about veterans community living centers (VCLCs), formerly known as state veterans nursing homes, in Colorado.  Specifically, it includes the history of the five current VCLC locati...

Regional Transportation District Overview

This memorandum provides information on the Regional Transportation District (RTD).  Information regarding RTD’s statutory history, authority, board, budget, and service area is included below.

2023 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement Payment Forecast

Colorado receives annual payments from tobacco manufacturers as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).  In April 2022, the state received $88.2 million, which was used to determine distributions to MSA...

State Paid Family and Medical Leave Laws

To date, Colorado and ten other states have enacted paid family and medical leave laws.  The other states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Is...

Statutes of Limitations

This memorandum provides an overview of statutes of limitations, including factors that impact length, such as statutes of repose and tolling.  The memorandum also includes tables listing the various criminal and civi...

Energy Infrastructure Security (20-04)

This issue brief provides an overview of critical infrastructure, discusses a 2019 cyberattack on the U.S. electrical grid, and summarizes state and federal legislation addressing security for critical infrastructure.

CY 2020 for FY 2019-20 Supplemental Narrative

The Supplemental Narrative is prepared by the staff to explain proposed adjustments to prior year appropriations recommended by the JBC to the rest of the General Assembly.  This narrative describes all of the propose...

Energy Generation, Distribution, and Regulation (18-11)

This issue brief provides information on electric utilities in Colorado, and how utilities generate and distribute electricity to Colorado homes and businesses.  The issue brief also describes the regulation of invest...

Summary of State Government Legislation (2018)

During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to state agencies and employees, boards and commissions, the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association, the General Assembl...

Financing Public Schools FY 2018-2019

House Bill 18-1379 amends the Public School Finance Act of 1994 to provide funding for school districts in FY 2018‑19.  The bill was signed by the Governor on May 24, 2018, and became effective on that date.  House Bi...

Oversize and Overweight Commercial Vehicles (18-10)

State and federal regulations set standards for the size and weight of commercial vehicles operated on public highways.  A commercial vehicle is any vehicle used for commerce that has a gross vehicle weight rating of ...

2018 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement Payment Forecast

Colorado receives annual payments from tobacco manufacturers as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). In April 2018, the state received $177.3 million, including a one-time payment of $113.3 million p...

Summary of Civil Law Legislation (2018)

During the 2018 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly considered measures related to civil law. Specifically, the legislature considered bills regarding civil protections, the statute of limitations for d...

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hale River Ranch Conservation and Perpetual Public Access Easements

Adams County Youth Services Center Property Acquisition

This memorandum summarizes a request from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to acquire a 15-acre parcel of land from Adams County for the construction of a new youth services center in the 17th Judicial District.

2017 Appropriations History

Final Report House Select Committee on Climate Responsibility

The House Select Committee on Climate Responsibility was convened pursuant to House Rule 25B, which allows the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Speaker) to create a committee to review a single specified subje...