First Regular Session | 74th General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblyDuring the 2019 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a number of measures related to estate documents, public guardians, and trusts.
This issue brief provides an overview of state laws related to pet animal facilities. These facilities are licensed and regulated under the Colorado Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA).
During the 2019 legislative session, the General Assembly examined a number of measures related to civil law. Specifically, the legislature considered bills regarding consumer fraud, internet privacy, free-speech lawsuits, damages, child hearsay exceptions, and equal pay.
During the 2019 legislative session, the General Assembly passed legislation focused on enhancing the state's adoption, foster care, and child welfare programs; expanding a Division of Youth Services (DYS) pilot program designed to change the internal culture of DYS; and enhancing services...
This issue brief provides an overview of extreme risk protection orders, including what they are, how they are used, and how Colorado's proposed law compares to other states. It also addresses other types of protection orders authorized in Colorado law.
This memorandum provides a brief overview of the timeline of events related to the recommended closure of the Grand Junction Regional Center (GJRC) campus.
This document provides a summary of the most frequently used court filing fees, surcharges, and costs.
Community corrections programs serve as an alternative to prison or as a transition for individuals in prison to reenter society. This issue brief provides a general overview of community corrections.
Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems.
According to the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC), between 2012 to 2017, the number of inmates who had moderate to severe mental health needs increased by 7 percent. Additionally, a steep increase in court-ordered competency evaluations and restorative treatments has caused a shortage...
This memorandum provides an overview of jury duty for criminal trials in Colorado, including how jurors are summoned, excused, selected, paid, and impaneled. Jury deliberations, instructions, and verdicts are also covered.
Gravity and switchblade knives, which were originally popularized by classic movies such as West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause, are considered illegal weapons in Colorado. Possessing such a weapon could result in a fine or jail time, or both. This issue brief...
A statute of limitations is a law that specifies the maximum length of time allowed for a victim or prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings. Such a statute may apply in either criminal or civil cases. This issue brief provides an overview of criminal statutes of limitations, including...
This memorandum provides an overview of how post-conviction sex offender polygraph testing (PCSOT) is used for adult sex offenders in Colorado, as well as in other states. It also includes a summary of current research on its effectiveness.
Colorado’s child welfare system provides a range of services to protect children from abuse and neglect and to assist families in caring for their children. This issue brief provides an overview of the child welfare system in Colorado, including administration and funding, reporting...
The Colorado Constitution allows voters to decide whether justices and judges stay on the bench after they have been appointed and have had time to establish a judicial record by serving an initial term. Some form of this process, otherwise known as the merit selection and retention of justices...
Report No. 2018-TE4
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly introduced numerous bills concerning crimes,criminal penalties, and law enforcement.
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly introduced numerous bills concerning the state’s correctional system and associated issues.
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to child welfare and foster care, youth mental health and suicide prevention, child abuse prevention, the juvenile justice system, and other aspects of family law. The bills described in this document passed...
During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to increasing access to behavioral health services, increasing capacity for competency restoration, protecting children in foster care, child care assistance funding, and increasing the effectiveness of other...
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 domestic violence offenses, immunity, jurisdiction, and liability.
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.
During the 2017 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to judicial performance, state and local court administration, court proceedings involving juveniles, evidence and court procedures, and records sealing. This document summarizes the legislation.
This memorandum provides an overview of state laws that address age of consent for sexual activity. More specifically, it provides information about the age of sexual consent in Colorado and other states, including exemptions that allow a person below the age of consent to have lawful sex with...