Colorado LegiSource

An informational and educational resource for the Colorado General Assembly by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.

Month: March 2013

  • Bill Summaries — Your Source for the “Quick and Dirty” on a Bill

    by Patti Dahlberg

    You’re running late, you’re trying to get a handle on the bills they just called up on special orders, and there are seven bills on your committee calendar for this afternoon. When you need to quickly remind yourself of what’s in a bill, check the summary that appears on the first page of every bill. While the bill summary probably will not tell you all you need to know, it can jog your memory. But before you rely too heavily, if the bill has already passed out of the house of introduction, remember to check for an updated summary. (more…)

  • A New Interpretation of “Amendment 41” and Gifts of Travel: Maybe You Can Attend that Conference!

    by Jennifer Gilroy

    By this point in your career as a legislator, you know that, under Amendment 41, you may not accept a scholarship or reimbursement for travel, hotel accommodations, and registration expenses to attend a conference, even one directly related to your public duties as a member of the General Assembly, unless: (more…)

  • Tax Check-off Programs — “Check it out, check it off!”

    by Patti Dahlberg

    Thirty-six years ago, Colorado became the first state in the country to allow a taxpayer to “check-off” a voluntary contribution to a state program. That’s right — the Colorado Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund became, in 1977, the first state income tax check-off fund in the United States. Today, across the country and in nearly every state, there are hundreds of check-off funds. Colorado was also the first state to have a collaborative, statewide public awareness campaign — Checkoff Colorado — supported by all of the nonprofit programs that are included on the state income tax form. (more…)

  • To Really Drill Down on an Issue, Consider Creating an Interim Study Committee

    by Patti Dahlberg and Julie Pelegrin

    Do you ever feel like things during the legislative session are just going too fast and that certain bills and topics need much more in-depth study time than they can get during the legislative session? Well, there’s an “app” for that – so to speak. It’s called a legislative interim study committee or an “interim committee”. When a legislator has a specific topic that he or she feels deserves time for in-depth study and testimony from a variety of experts in the field, the legislator may introduce a bill or joint resolution to create an interim committee. (more…)