The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) 1 creates a presumption in favor of public access to government documents. This issue brief addresses CORA’s two threshold questions: 1) what is and is not considered a public record; and 2) which public records are exempt from disclosure. It also briefly...

Information technology (IT) is used by every state agency to make operations more efficient and services more widely available to the citizens of Colorado. Along with other day-to-day expenses of state government, expenses related to IT are paid through the operating budget in the state's annual...

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 “...

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 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...

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...

The day-to-day expenses of state government are paid through the operating budget in the state's annual budget bill. Expenses related to new construction, renovation, or maintenance of the state's capital assets are paid through the capital budget. This issue brief outlines the types of projects...

During the summer and fall of 2014, seven interim committees and commissions met to discuss policy issues and draft legislation for consideration by the General Assembly during the upcoming legislative session. As required by legislative rules, the Legislative Council Committee met to review the...

In 1992, voters approved a Colorado Constitutional Amendment -- Article X, Section 20, known as the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). TABOR limits annual growth in state spending.