First Regular Session | 74th General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblyThe 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.
Report No. 2023-TE4
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...
Colorado statute establishes the Legislative Council as a body of 18 Senators and Representatives with specific functions and responsibilities (Section 2-3-301, et seq., C.R.S.). Six senators are appointed, with the President of the Senate appointing the majority party members and the...
Legislative committees are a very important part of Colorado's legislative process. At a legislative committee hearing, citizens have an opportunity to express their views and have them incorporated into the official legislative record. In Colorado, every bill receives a public hearing by one of...
Term Limit Information for Members of the Colorado House of Representatives
Term Limit Information for Members of the Colorado State Senate
This memorandum provides information about the interstate compacts, Supreme Court decrees, and international treaties that govern Colorado’s use of interstate streams. Specifically, it gives a brief summary of the history of each of the compacts and outlines the specific components and...
This memorandum memorializes the process for requesting and preparing greenhouse gas emissions reports (GHG reports) pursuant to Section 2-2-322.3, C.R.S., starting at the 2023 legislative session. It outlines the number of reports per session, the process for requesting reports, the...
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...
This memorandum provides an overview of the process to fill vacancies in various elected offices at the federal, state, and local levels. A vacancy in an elected office occurs when an office holder resigns or dies during his or her elected term. A vacancy may also occur when an elected...
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....
The recently renamed Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee (WRARC) was created to contribute to and monitor the conservation, use, development, and financing of Colorado's water resources for the general welfare of the state (Section 37-98-102, C.R.S.). In 2022, the committee charge...
This memorandum describes the programs authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that may provide formula or competitive grants to Colorado.
The state legislature established the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) in 1931 to provide a pension benefit to state and local government employees, predating the federal Social Security Act of 1935 by four years. PERA is administered under Article 51 of Title 24 of the...
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...
An estimated 3.3 million people in Colorado are affected by drought, with 2022 being the driest year to date over the past 128 years. In response to the ongoing drought in Colorado, the General Assembly passed HB 22-1151 to promote the efficient and maximum utilization of Colorado’s...
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...
During the 2022 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly considered several measures related to information technology (IT), including: privacy protections, IT-related state services; and Joint Technology Committee-sponsored bills.
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...
During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to natural resources and the environment including wildfire prevention and control; air quality; natural resources; environmental protection; and recycling.
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.
During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to higher education. Specifically, bills related to scholarships, grants, and financial assistance; pathways to student success; degrees and workforce development; and administration and governance.
During the 2022 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly considered measures related to agriculture, including wildlife and conservation, workforce, the Colorado State Fair, and other agriculture‑related topics.
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.