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Staff Publications

Overview of the Colorado Judicial Branch

This memorandum provides an overview of the Colorado Judicial Branch, also referred to as the Judicial Department when described as part of the state budget. Established in Section 1 of Article VI of the Colorado Constitution, and further governed by Title 13 of the Colorado Revised Statutes and the Colorado Court Rules, the branch is responsible for administering a court system to resolve disputes and enforce civil and criminal laws.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Courts & Judicial

Issue Briefs

State Land Board & the Permanent Fund

When Colorado became a state, the federal government granted the state lands to be held in an intergenerational public trust to support public education. This trust is made up of about 2.8 million acres of surface land and 4.0 million subsurface acres, and is managed by the State Land Board (SLB) in the Deparment of Natural Resources. This issue brief discusses how revenue earned on those lands is used, invested, and spent for public education.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12)

Staff Publications

Agreements Governing Colorado’s Rivers

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 history of each compact and outlines the specific components and requirements of each compact currently in state law. In addition, the memorandum discusses the two memoranda, two Supreme Court decrees, and two international treaties that govern rivers in Colorado. Appendix A outlines the technical components of the laws affecting Colorado’s rivers.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Agriculture
  • Water

Staff Publications

Medical Aid-in-Dying

This memorandum provides an overview of Colorado’s Medical Aid-in-Dying law, which legalized the practice of prescribing medical aid-in-dying medication to eligible terminally ill patients in Colorado.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Health Care & Health Insurance
  • Public Health

Issue Briefs

Colorado’s Child Welfare System

Colorado’s child welfare system provides services to protect children from abuse and neglect and to support families in caring for their children. This issue brief provides an overview of the child welfare system in Colorado, including its administration and funding; reporting of child abuse or neglect; and the judicial process and types of services provided in child welfare cases.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Children & Domestic Matters
  • Human Services




Staff Publications

2025 Blue Book Fiscal Impact Statements

This document includes fiscal impact statements prepared by Legislative Council Staff for the following measures on the November 2025 statewide ballot.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Elections & Redistricting

Staff Publications

2025 Blue Book Referring Legislation

This document includes the two bills that referred measures to the November 2025 ballot.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Elections & Redistricting



Staff Publications

2025 Blue Book (English)

The statewide General Election will be held on November 4, 2025. This booklet provides information on the 14 statewide measures that will appear on your ballot. You will receive information about local government ballot measures separately.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Elections & Redistricting


Budget Related Publications

Forecast September 2025

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2026-27. 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:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Fiscal Policy & Taxes
  • State Revenue & Budget


Staff Publications

Medicaid Impacts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals, including children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Colorado’s Medicaid program is known as Health First Colorado and is administered by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). This memorandum provides an overview of recent Medicaid changes under H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). For additional information, see LCS’s memo providing an Overview of Colorado’s Medicaid Program.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Health Care & Health Insurance

Staff Publications

An Overview of Colorado’s Medicaid Program

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals, including children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. The federal government establishes general rules and policies for Medicaid, including required services and eligible populations, and each state administers its own Medicaid program.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Health Care & Health Insurance

Summary of Major Legislation

Summary of 2025 Health Care and Health Insurance Legislation

Many pieces of legislation regarding health care and health insurance made their way through the 75th General Assembly. The majority of the legislation fell into the following categories: Medicaid, health insurance, access to care, pharmacy and prescription services, rural safety net, abortion, and gender identity.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Health Care & Health Insurance


Staff Publications

2025B Digest of Bills

The Office of Legislative Legal Services prepares the Digest of Bills and Concurrent Resolutions as required under section 2-3-504, C.R.S. The Digest consists of summaries of all bills and concurrent resolutions enacted by the Seventy-fifth General Assembly at its First Extraordinary Session ending August 26, 2025. The summaries include the dates upon which the Governor acted and the effective dates of the bills.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Office of Legislative Legal Services
Subjects:

Staff Publications

State Fleet Management and Costs

The Department of Personnel and Administration (DPA) administers the State Fleet Management Program. This memorandum provides an overview of the program, characteristics of the state fleet, and how vehicle-related costs are handled in fiscal notes and the budget process.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • State Government
  • Transportation & Motor Vehicles

Staff Publications

Air Pollution Regulation in Colorado

This memorandum provides a brief history of the federal Clean Air Act; describes common air pollutants and their health impacts; outlines Colorado’s air quality issues and state programs; and lists recently enacted state legislation that aims to improve the state’s air quality.  

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Energy
  • Natural Resources & Environment

Session Related Publications

Colorado General Assembly Special Sessions

The Colorado General Assembly meets annually in regular session for up to 120 days. However, the Colorado Constitution allows the Colorado General Assembly to meet outside of the 120‑day regular legislative session to conduct legislative business in a special legislative session (special session). This memorandum provides information about special sessions, including their length and frequency, how they can be called, and information on each special session since statehood.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • General Assembly
  • State Government

Issue Briefs

Public School Governance and Accountability

This issue brief provides an overview of the state governance structure for public K-12 schools and discusses the main provisions of the school accountability system in Colorado.

Release date:
Publishing Agency:
Legislative Council Staff
Subjects:
  • Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12)