Staff Publications Financing Public Schools FY 2026-27 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. Release date: 2026-09-18 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) Download File
Staff Publications Regional Transportation District Overview This memorandum provides information on the Regional Transportation District (RTD). Release date: 2026-09-18 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Transportation & Motor Vehicles Download File
Budget Related Publications Forecast September 2026 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. Release date: 2026-09-18 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Fiscal Policy & Taxes State Revenue & Budget Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Public Health Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-08-31 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Health Care & Health Insurance Human Services Public Health Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Business and Economic Development Legislation During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to business and economic development. Release date: 2026-08-28 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Business & Economic Development Financial Services & Commerce General Assembly Download File
Staff Publications Comparing Child Sex Trafficking Penalties Across the 50 States 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 Release date: 2026-08-28 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement Download File
Staff Publications History of TABOR Refund Mechanisms 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. Release date: 2026-08-25 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Fiscal Policy & Taxes State Revenue & Budget Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 K-12 Education Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-08-25 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) General Assembly Download File
Staff Publications 2027 Deadline Schedule Deadline Schedule for the 2027 Colorado General Assembly. Release date: 2026-08-25 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Download File
Staff Publications Office of Legislative Workplace Relations Annual Statistical Report 2025-2026 Release date: 2026-08-25 Publishing Agency: Office of Legislative Legal Services Subjects: Download File
Tax Expenditure Evaluation Child Care Contribution Income Tax Credit Report No. 2026-TE6 Release date: 2026-08-21 Publishing Agency: Office of the State Auditor Subjects: Children & Domestic Matters Fiscal Policy & Taxes Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Water Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-08-12 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Natural Resources & Environment Water Download File
Staff Publications A Brief Overview of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights' Revenue Limit 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. Release date: 2026-08-07 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Fiscal Policy & Taxes State Government Download File
Staff Publications 2026 Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee Final Report 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. Release date: 2026-08-04 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Agriculture Natural Resources & Environment Water Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Labor and Employment Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-08-03 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Labor & Employment Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Health Care and Insurance Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-08-03 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Health Care & Health Insurance Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 State Government and Immigration Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-07-31 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Immigration State Government Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Higher Education Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-07-27 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Higher Education Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Behavioral Health Legislation 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. Release date: 2026-07-27 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: General Assembly Health Care & Health Insurance Human Services Public Health Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Civil Law Legislation During the 2026 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly considered several measures related to civil law. Specifically, the legislature passed bills that made changes to civil asset forfeiture, conversion therapy, protection orders, name changes, social media content, uniform laws, and law firms. Release date: 2026-07-27 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Civil Law Courts & Judicial General Assembly Download File
Staff Publications Medicaid Legislation in Colorado (2022—2026) This memorandum provides an overview of Medicaid-related legislation from Colorado’s last five legislative sessions (2022 to 2026). During this period, the General Assembly introduced at least 87 Medicaid-related bills of which 16 bills were lost (18.4 percent). Between 2022 and 2024, approximately 90 percent of all Medicaid-related bills passed. The bill passage rate dropped to 76 percent in 2025 and 65 percent in 2026. Release date: 2026-07-23 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Health Care & Health Insurance Download File
Staff Publications Sex Offender Housing Restrictions This memorandum discusses sex offender residency restrictions in Colorado and additional factors that can influence where sex offenders are allowed to live. In some cases, sex offenders may live in supervised housing facilities, but many have completed their sentences and live independently. Release date: 2026-07-22 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Civil Law Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement Local Government Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Energy and Natural Resources Legislation During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to energy and natural resources; including regulating utilities, improving electricity transmission, and promoting renewable energy. Release date: 2026-07-20 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Energy Natural Resources & Environment Download File
Summary of Major Legislation Summary of 2026 Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Legislation During the 2026 legislative session, regulating advancements in information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) remained a strong legislative priority. Release date: 2026-07-13 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Business & Economic Development Telecommunications & Information Technology Download File
Staff Publications Online Data Collection and Tracking Methods by Third Parties This memorandum provides an overview of known online data collection and tracking methods often used by third parties, including data brokers. While the ecosystem of online data collection and tracking is vast, this memorandum primarily focuses on user side collection and tracking methods and briefly describes ongoing research regarding non-user-side third-party data tracking and brokerage. Release date: 2026-07-13 Publishing Agency: Legislative Council Staff Subjects: Courts & Judicial Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement Telecommunications & Information Technology Download File