Colorado State Operating Budget Appropriations Data since FY 1999-00. Includes total appropriations and General Fund-only appropriations for each state agency. 

This memorandum provides an overview of the process and methodology for drafting greenhouse gas emissions reports, pursuant to Section 2-2-322.3, C.R.S.  At the 2019 legislative session, House Bill 19-1188 was passed and signed by the Governor, which requires Legislative Council Staff to prepare...

During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to water, including water project funding, groundwater sustainability, watershed resiliency, turf replacement, and other water related efforts.

During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to State Government including task forces and commissions, payments and fees, compensation, holidays, and daylight savings.

Article V, Section 1 (7.5), Colorado Constitution, and Section 1-40-124.5, Colorado Revised Statutes, require the Legislative Council Staff to prepare a ballot information booklet prior to each election in which a statewide issue appears on the ballot.  The booklet's purpose is to provide voters...

This memorandum provides information on state government enterprises under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution, also known as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).  From FY 1993-94 through FY 2022-23, 33 state government entities had received enterprise status for at least one...

Geothermal energy refers to heat that is found within the Earth.  This heat can be used in a number of ways through geothermal energy systems.  First, it can be used to directly heat buildings, where hot water near the earth’s surface is piped into buildings.  Second, it can be used indirectly...

This memorandum provides an overview of the statewide ballot measure process; a summary of the measures approved or rejected by Colorado voters between 1880 and 2022; and links to additional resources at the offices of the Colorado Legislative Council Staff and the Colorado Secretary of State....

This memorandum provides an overview of the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent Government Act" (SMART Government Act).  The act requires executive agencies to annually present specific information to joint legislative committees during the first two weeks of the...

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 natural environment without diverting the water.  The ISF program recognized the...

The Legislative Council Staff’s Water Policy Handbook is intended to serve as a reference guide to Colorado's water policies and programs.  The book is divided into three parts.  Each part covers a different aspect of Colorado water law and policy.