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The Colorado General Assembly passed a number of bills related to human services, children, and families. Due to budgetary constraints, the General Assembly focused less on expanding and creating new programs, and focused more on refining existing programs and systems. Major legislation primarily focused on updating child welfare court processes, making changes to how social services operate, and improving the relationship between federal and state programs.

Declaraciones de impacto fiscal para las medidas electorales estatales de 2026.

La elección general estatal se llevará a cabo el 3 de noviembre de 2026. Este folleto proporciona información sobre las 14 medidas estatales que aparecerán en la boleta, así como sobre los jueces que serán considerados para retención en su área. Además, el folleto de este año contiene una medida local que solo corresponde a ciertas áreas de la zona Front Range. Usted recibirá información sobre cualquier otra medida electoral del gobierno local por separado.

The 2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (“Blue Book”) provides information on the fourteen statewide measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot and on judges considered for retention. This year’s booklet also contains one local ballot measure that applies only to certain areas of the Front Range. You will receive information about any other local government ballot measures separately.

This memorandum summarizes the primary funding changes to school finance for FY 2026-27. There were bills during the 2026 legislative session that substantively affected the financing of public schools in Colorado.

This memorandum provides information on the Regional Transportation District (RTD). 

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2027-28. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

The second session of the 75th General Assembly passed several pieces of legislation regarding public health. While not all of the public health legislation fell into these groups, three major themes for public health were public health labeling and education, water testing, and immunization.

During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to business and economic development.

Child sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking that occurs when a child under the age of 18 is advertised, solicited, or exploited through a commercial sex act. This memorandum discusses the penalties in Colorado for this crime, and provides information on the penalties in other states for comparison

This memorandum provides background information on current and past statutory mechanisms used to refund state revenue in excess of the spending limit established in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). TABOR allows the state to use “any reasonable method” to distribute refunds. 

The General Assembly has created and repealed various mechanisms to refund the state TABOR surplus. In total, 27 refund mechanisms have existed in statute since the passage of TABOR in 1992.

During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a wide range of measures pertaining to K-12 education in Colorado. The legislature adopted bills related to school funding, governance and administration, student success, and teacher licensure.

Deadline Schedule for the 2027 Colorado General Assembly.

Report No. 2026-TE6

In 2026, the General Assembly passed several water-focused bills, which addressed revegetation, water vessel registration, and funding for water projects and species conservation. Additional bills focused on water issues in the energy sector, including injection wells, geothermal energy, and data centers. 

The Colorado Constitution includes an amendment called the “The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights,” also known as TABOR. This memorandum presents introductory information on TABOR as it impacts state government, including the TABOR revenue limit, and mechanisms for retaining or refunding revenue collected above that limit. 

Pursuant to Section 37-98-102, C.R.S., the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee’s (WRARC) purpose is to oversee the conservation, use, development, and financing of Colorado's water resources and to identify, monitor, and address Colorado agriculture issues. House Bill 26-1331 limited the committee’s meetings and ability to request legislation. The committee met one time during the 2026 interim and did not take any field trips or request any legislation. This memorandum includes a summary of the topics that the committee discussed in 2026. 

During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered various measures related to labor and employment, including measures related to wage and hour laws, workforce development, worker protections, and worker’s compensation. 

The General Assembly considered several pieces of legislation regarding health care and health insurance during the second session of the 75th General Assembly. Most of the legislation fell into the following categories: changes to Medicaid, artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, adjustments to scope of practice, and changes to insurance coverage.

During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered bills concerning the state government and immigration matters, including legislation addressing state employees and agencies, government transparency, the General Assembly, and capitol grounds.

During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a variety of measures related to higher education in Colorado. Specifically, the legislature adopted bills related to workforce development, health and wellness, funding, board representation, and performance and oversight.

The 2026 General Assembly introduced numerous behavioral health bills around licensing and transparency, particularly as they relate to facilities, continuity of care, and administration. 

Additional bills from 2026 address the allocation of resources for behavioral health.