Second Regular Session | 73rd General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblyPresented to the Joint Finance Committee at its January 5, 2017, meeting.
This memorandum summarizes the Public Utilities Commission's (PUC’s) authority to regulate passenger carrier services and transportation network companies (TNCs). Specifically, this memorandum discusses PUC regulations concerning common, contract, and limited regulation carriers, including...
Presented to the Joint Health Committee.
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...
Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by Legalized Marijuana Cost-Benefit Analysis Interim Study Committee
Colorado voters legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2000 and retail marijuana in 2012 through amendments to the Colorado Constitution. This issue brief provides an overview of current state law and regulations pertaining to medical and retail marijuana, and discusses the role of local...
In June 2014, Colorado became the first state to enact a law regulating on-demand transportation network companies (TNCs). Since then, at least 40 other states plus the District of Columbia have established regulatory frameworks for TNCs. Unlike the taxicab industry, TNCs, such as Uber and Lyft...
Colorado's transportation system consists of a network of roads, highways, bridges, mass transit lines, airports, and rail systems. State and local governments maintain the system with funding from federal, state, and local government sources. Subject to certain constitutional limitations, the...
This memorandum discusses Colorado law on the subject of the expungement of juvenile delinquency records, including the offenses that may not be expunged, and provides information about sealing adult arrest records, criminal records other than convictions, and conviction records. Further...
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 “...
Senate Bill 09-228, adopted by the General Assembly during the 2009 legislative session, created a five-year block of statutory transfers from the General Fund to pay for transportation and capital construction projects. This issue brief discusses the state law that specifies the amounts of...
Senate Bill 16-197, signed into law on June 10, 2016, makes significant changes to laws regulating the retail sale of fermented malt beverages (3.2 percent alcohol by weight beer, commonly known as 3.2 beer), full-strength beer, wine, and spirits for off-premises consumption. This issue brief...
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...
This issue brief provides an overview of marijuana tax revenue. Three state taxes apply to marijuana, with medical and retail marijuana taxed differently. Both medical and retail marijuana are subject to the existing 2.9 percent state sales tax, which is applied to most purchases in the state....
This memorandum provides information regarding state laws penalizing those who misrepresent pets or other animals as service animals. Nine states have laws prohibiting the misrepresentation of pets, and nine states have laws prohibiting people from misrepresenting themselves as disabled in order...
This memorandum provides information on Colorado law related to nonfatal strangulation and information on the laws in states in which nonfatal strangulation is a felony. While Colorado statutes do not specifically address strangulation, other criminal statutes may apply. This memorandum also...
Colorado receives annual payments from tobacco manufacturers as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. In April 2015, the state received $88.1 million. This memorandum presents the distribution of the received payment from 2015 and forecasts payments and distributions through FY 2017...
This issue brief discusses the various offenses related to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Colorado, and their associated criminal and administrative penalties.
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...
Colorado has a complex framework of laws regulating the manufacture, distribution, sale, and consumption of alcohol in the state. This issue brief outlines Colorado liquor laws; the regulatory structure; government revenue streams; and the role of state and local governments in licensing and...
Three state taxes apply to marijuana, but medical and retail marijuana are taxed differently. Both medical and retail marijuana are subject to the 2.9 percent state sales tax, which is applied to most purchases in the state. Additionally, retail marijuana is subject to a 10 percent sales tax,...
This memorandum provides information on Colorado's construction defect laws and the various issues surrounding construction defects in Colorado. It summarizes the current construction defect laws in the state, provides a summary of a recent Denver Regional Council of Governments study of the...
Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) requires voter approval of any new taxes. Prior to voter approval, it also requires that voters receive estimates of state spending without new taxes and the new tax revenue. Proposition AA, which authorized the 10 percent sales tax and the 15 percent...
This issue brief provides a brief overview of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), related federal and state regulations, and current uses and restrictions in Colorado.
This issue brief reviews the US-36 Express Lane Project, which involves the widening and reconstruction of US-36 between Federal Boulevard in Denver and Table Mesa Drive in Boulder. In the 1950s, this section of the highway opened as a four-lane toll road as an alternative to driving through...