Colorado LegiSource

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

Author: olls

  • Let’s Get to Know: House Assistant Chief Clerk Darren Thornberry

    Photo of Darren Thornberry.

    by Jack Neirynck

    Darren Thornberry is the new Assistant Chief Clerk of the Colorado House of Representatives. He began the position during the 2025 interim, taking over for Connor Randall, who held the job during the 2025 regular legislative session. As Assistant Chief Clerk, Thornberry is responsible for assisting the Chief Clerk, Vanessa Reilly, in all aspects of the business of the House. During session, this includes scheduling committee rooms, preparing the daily calendar, managing the House live proceedings software, and preparing messages to the Senate. Having worked for the Office of Legislative Legal Services as a legislative editor for almost a decade prior to taking on this new role, Thornberry is no stranger to the work that goes on at the Colorado Capitol. LegiSource spoke with Thornberry in early September.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    Tell us a bit about your background with the legislature. What aspects of working as a legislative staff member interested you?

    I saw the ad on Craigslist. I don’t know if they still use Craiglist to post ads, but this was 2014. I interviewed on the same day for positions on the Government Team and the Law Team in the Office of Legislative Legal Services, and got neither of them. About three weeks later, I got a call back to interview for the Business Team, and it landed, and I was very happy. As far as what interested me, all I knew was that it was editing, which is my background—writing and editing. It was editing in a vein I had never heard of — legislative editing — and I thought, What is that? I was super interested, and thus began my journey to here.

    Where are you from?

    I’m from central Alberta. I have lived in the States for a long time. I’ve lived in Texas and Alabama. I’ve also lived in the UK. I’ve been in Colorado since 2009.

    What are your hobbies?

    The main thing I do outside of working and being with my children is music. I’m in two bands, and that certainly keeps me busy with rehearsing, gigging, and writing and recording music. I have other doodads that I like, but that is sort of my second livelihood. My main instrument is my voice — I play guitar only because I had to in order to write songs for my band. I’m a utility guitarist at best, but I try to have people around me in the band who are better at what they do than I am, and together that uplifts the songs.

    Where is your favorite place in Colorado?

    One has got to be the Therapy Pool at Glenwood Springs. Especially if you’ve been camping all day and then you go in, it’s the best feeling in the world. I also love the Paint Mines east of Colorado Springs – hoodoos and these rock formations that have all these colors on them. Native Americans used to get the clay from these rocks for paint, which is why they call them the Paint Mines. It’s a beautiful place to hike through, especially at dusk, which is when the colors really pop.

    What is a typical work day like for you?

    I don’t totally know, or I guess I know now that we’ve had a Special Session. It’s very busy. Outside of session, in a typical work day I can be processing an EcoPass for an aide. I can be dealing with a badge dilemma. I can be working on getting a quote for an ice machine. I can be dealing with a security issue with the State Patrol. There’s a wide variety of things in this position that I can be doing, and so far I love that. I love that you kind of never know in a given day what’s coming at you. I think that’s something that I didn’t necessarily know that I needed, but I’m totally enjoying it. There’s a lot going on on any given day, even in the interim. And now that I’ve had a Special Session, I know what those days will be like: Action packed. 

    What part of the job are you looking forward to the most?

    I think going through the cycle of a complete regular session and just riding out that rhythm in this position. I’m looking forward to it more now that I’ve had that trial run with the Special Session.

    What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from Connor Randall, former Assistant Chief Clerk?

    Definitely “don’t panic.” There are going to be times where you feel like you have to make a split-second decision, and most of the time you don’t. Most of the time you have at least a minute, or you can ask for a quick recess. You can take a minute to sort things out and ask the right questions. There are going to be times where it feels like the world is coming at you, and if you don’t solve the problem right then, it’s over. But it’s not. So don’t panic, stay level-headed, and just ride it out.

    Anything else you’d like to share?

    I guess just that I’m so, so thankful for all my time at the Office of Legislative Legal Services. I even left for a time, thinking “I’m too burned out; I can’t do this anymore”, and then immediately knew that was wrong. And so I spent two years away, pining to come back. Thankfully, they had me back, and all that experience has been invaluable in my growth in this building. Were it not for that, there’s no way I would be in this position now. So I’m very thankful for that office and all the friends and all the good times.

    Bonus Question: What are your favorite restaurants around the Capitol or in Colorado in general?

    I love Pho-natic. I could eat there probably every day if given the opportunity. Restaurants in general in Colorado? Tough to say. Let’s just say that I could toggle between SubCulture and Pho-natic for a long, long time and never get bored.

  • Making Sense of Committee Rules – A Brief Overview

    Editor’s note: This article was originally written by Julie Pelegrin and posted on February 6, 2014.  This version has been edited and updated for this publication.

    With the 2026 legislative session rapidly approaching, it seems like a good time for a short overview of the more important committee procedural rules to help guide you through committee hearings. Except as specifically noted, the procedures described below apply to House and Senate committees.

    Committee Quorum:
    House Rule 25(i)(1) and (j)(10)
    Senate Rule 22(b) and (n)
    A quorum for a committee of reference in both the House and the Senate is a majority of the committee membership. A committee cannot take action on a bill or any other legislative matter unless a quorum is present. Passage of a bill, resolution, amendment, or motion requires approval of a majority of a quorum or a majority of those present and voting, whichever is greater.

    Committee Meetings and Consideration of Bills:
    House Rules 25(j)(1), (j)(1.5), (j)(6), and (j)(7)
    Senate Rules 22(a), (e)(1), (i), and (j)
    The responsibility for organizing and managing committee hearings lies mainly with the committee chair, but the chair of a House committee can delegate any duty or responsibility to the vice-chair of the committee. The committee rules include the following:

    Time and Place of Committee Hearings
    Each committee must meet at the times and places specified in the committee schedule, but a chair can cancel a meeting by announcing the cancellation while the House or the Senate, whichever applies, is actually in session and before the meeting. In the Senate, if a committee is scheduled to meet upon adjournment, it will meet within 15 minutes after the Senate adjourns or recesses.

    Special Meetings
    A House committee may hold a special committee meeting on another day or at another place or time so long as the chair announces the meeting as much in advance as possible and while the House is actually in session. Generally, a Senate committee may hold a special meeting only on the committee’s regularly scheduled meeting day. The chair must announce the special meeting 24 hours in advance and while the Senate is actually in session. There is an exception during the last two weeks of session, or at any time with the President’s permission, that allows a Senate committee chair to call a special meeting on a different day by announcing the meeting as much in advance as possible and while the Senate is actually in session.

    Every Bill Must Get a Hearing and a Vote
    Every bill that is assigned to a House committee must receive a hearing, consideration, and a vote on the merits at a scheduled committee meeting no later than the deadline for passage of bills out of committee. Although the Senate rules do not include this specific requirement, article V, section 20 of the Colorado Constitution (commonly referred to as the “GAVEL Amendment”) requires that each measure assigned to a committee of reference receive consideration and a vote on the merits within appropriate deadlines.

    Order of Business
    The committee chair sets the calendar for each meeting. But if a chair holds a bill for seven or more days without calendaring it, the committee members can force the chair to schedule the bill. A majority of the members of a Senate committee can simply request, at a regularly scheduled committee hearing, that the bill be scheduled for hearing. House committee members must submit to the chair at a regularly scheduled committee hearing a petition signed by at least two-thirds of the committee members. A House committee member can also force a hearing on a bill by making a motion to refer the bill to the committee of the whole when the bill is not on the committee’s calendar. This is often referred to as a “super motion.” When a “super motion” is made, the committee must consider the bill on its merits, and if the motion to refer to the committee of the whole doesn’t pass, the bill is still pending before the committee for action. There is no “super motion” in the Senate.

    Chair’s Authority
    During a House committee meeting, the chair may limit testimony and discussion on a measure to the amount that the chair thinks is adequate to enable the committee to consider the measure on its merits. The House committee chair may actually exclude testimony or discussion that is repetitious or irrelevant. Additionally, a House committee chair may ask a sergeant-at-arms to remove any person who disrupts the proceedings or endangers any person at a committee hearing.

    Although the Senate rules do not directly address the powers of the committee chair to control procedures within a committee hearing, Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure, the source for parliamentary procedures in the Senate, supports the authority of the Senate committee chair to maintain order and decide all questions of order in committee hearings.

    Motions, Voting, and Attendance
    Only committee members can make motions, and, in the House, each motion must receive a second to be debated. Each committee member, including the committee chair, must vote on every motion that comes before the committee, unless the committee member has an immediate personal or financial interest in the bill. But the committee chair does not vote twice to break a tie vote. If a committee member misses three consecutive scheduled committee meetings without being excused, the chair must report the member’s absence to the floor leader of the member’s party.

    Final Committee Action:
    House Rule 25(j)(3) and (j)(9)
    Senate Rule 22(f) and (m)
    A committee must take a recorded, roll call vote to take action on proposed amendments if at least one committee member objects to the amendment and to take final action on a bill. All recorded votes are available for public inspection.

    A committee takes final action on a bill by reporting the bill out of committee, with or without amendments, for consideration by the committee of the whole; referring the bill to another committee of reference, with or without amendments; or postponing the bill indefinitely. In reporting a bill for consideration by the committee of the whole, a Senate committee may recommend that the bill be placed on the consent calendar. A motion to postpone consideration of a bill for more than 30 days or until a date that’s later than the date for adjournment sine die is considered a motion to postpone indefinitely. A bill is also considered postponed indefinitely if a motion for final action on the bill dies on a tie vote, the deadline to report bills out of committee passes, and the bill doesn’t get delayed status.

    Reconsideration:
    House Rule 35(e) and (f)
    Senate Rule 18(e), (f), and (g)
    After a committee has decided a question, including taking final action on a bill, a member who voted on the prevailing side may move to reconsider the question. The procedures for reconsideration vary significantly between the House and the Senate.

    In the House, if a motion for final action on a bill dies on a tie vote, the committee doesn’t actually make a decision, so the bill is still before the committee and subject to any further motions without the need to reconsider. But, if the motion does not concern final action on the bill and the motion dies on a tie vote, a member who votes “no” is considered to have voted on the prevailing side and may move to reconsider the committee’s decision. A motion to reconsider in committee requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the committee members, except in the last ten days of session during which it requires only a majority vote. A member must make the motion to reconsider at the same meeting at which the decision is made or at the next committee meeting. But a motion to reconsider the decision is not in order if the committee report that includes the decision has already been signed by the committee chair and delivered to the Chief Clerk of the House. Also in a House committee, a member cannot give notice of intent to reconsider the decision at the next committee meeting.

    In the Senate, if a motion on a bill dies on a tie vote, a member who votes “no” is considered to have voted on the prevailing side and may move to reconsider the committee’s decision. A motion to reconsider in a Senate committee requires approval by a simple majority vote. At the same meeting at which the committee makes the decision or at the next meeting, a member can make the motion to reconsider.  But the committee cannot reconsider the decision after the committee report that includes the decision is signed by the committee chair and delivered to the Secretary of the Senate. A member may also give notice of intent to reconsider at the next meeting, unless the next meeting is after the committee passage deadline and the bill does not have delayed status. If the member who gives notice does not move to reconsider at the next committee meeting, the notice is considered withdrawn. 

  • A Holiday Message

    Wishing you a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year!

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  • Legislative Human Resources Division: New name, new location, expanded services

    Facade of the Legislative Services Building.

    by Ben FitzSimons

    In June of 2025, the Governor signed H.B. 25-1333, and the Office of Legislative Workplace Relations was renamed the Legislative Human Resources Division. With the passage of that bill, the division’s scope was also expanded, allowing the division to provide full human resources support to the Colorado General Assembly.

    Located in Room 022, in the northwest quadrant of the Legislative Services Building basement, the division consists of two human resources professionals: Ben FitzSimons (Director) and Stephanie Schliemann (People Partner). Both Ben and Stephanie are committed to providing professional human resources services and support in a neutral, nonpartisan, and confidential manner.

    The division provides a number of human resources services to the entire legislative branch, including legislators and their employees and interns, legislative staff agencies, and third parties, like members of the media and individuals and lobbyists testifying in committee. These include:

    • Confidential consultation, facilitation, and resolution planning for workplace issues and concerns, including: Working with legislators and supervisors to help resolve concerns or issues with their staff members; 
    • Working with legislators’ staff members (including aides, interns, partisan and nonpartisan staff, and volunteers) to help resolve questions or concerns about the work environment or their supervisors;
    • Confidential consultation regarding corrective or disciplinary action and planning; and
    • Harassment complaint intake, investigation, and resolution.
    • Workplace training, including:
      • Annual workplace harassment and expectations training for all legislators, staff, and third parties;
      • Manager or Supervisor training on topics like coaching, providing effective feedback, and effective meeting management; and
      • Other professional development training, such as effective training skills, introduction to project management, leadership, and workplace ethics.
    • Organizational development services, including:
      • Provision or coordination of organizational development services to teams or agencies;
      • Team or individual coaching;
      • Customized team-building programs or exercises; and
      • Team-based leadership development training and projects.
    • Resources for recruiting and compensation classification, including:
      • Support for recruiting through the full hiring cycle, from developing job posting language to sending out job offer letters;
      • Performing salary audits to identify potential gaps or inequities; and
      • Assisting with the creation or revision of job descriptions to ensure compliance with applicable laws and best practices.
    • Support for personnel policies and handbooks, including:
      • Coordinating with legislative leadership to ensure branch-wide policies and procedures use consistent language;
      • Ensuring agency, chamber, and caucus policies and handbooks are up-to-date and compliant with current law; and
      • Working with individual agencies or chambers on their unique needs and associated policies.
    • Centralized, branch-wide compliance support, including:
      • Support for workplace accommodations and the accommodation process under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
      • Management of all required employment law postings;
      • Providing notice of changes to employment laws; and
      • Management, maintenance, and storage of medical records related to medical leave or ADA accommodations.

    You may contact the division, also known as HR, by email at lhrd@coleg.gov or call (303) 866-3393. You may also visit the office in person in Room 022 of the basement level of the Legislative Services Building.

  • Bill Requests Submitted? Next Step is the Bill Order

    According to Joint Rule 24 (b)(1)(A), every legislator is allowed to submit five bill requests each session. These five bill requests are in addition to any appropriation, committee-approved, or sunset bills that a legislator may choose to carry and must be submitted by the bill request deadlines. (See “The 2026 Legislative Session Is Comin’ in Hot”, posted September 19, 2025.)  But in order to keep these five bill requests, a legislator’s bill requests must also meet specific bill filing deadlines.

    Filing bills and introduction deadlines

    Bill requests may be forfeited if the request does not meet specific filing deadlines.*  Prior to the start of each session, each legislator must decide which bill request will be their prefile bill (filed a few days prior to the start of session to be ready for introduction on the first day of session) and which two bill requests will meet the other early bill introduction deadlines. In addition, each legislator must also decide at some point which two bills will meet the regular bill filing deadlines. The filing deadline for prefile bills is, by rule, five days prior to the start of session. Each legislator must have one bill delivered to the front desk of the House or the Senate by this date or forfeit a bill request.*

    Bill orders

    A legislator’s bill order is the order in which their bills are filed for introduction. Joint Rule 23 (a) says that a legislator should choose a prefile bill and two early bills from the requests submitted by the December 1 request deadline. The rule also allows a legislator to choose a bill request submitted after this early request deadline to meet the early bill introduction deadlines, if needed.

    A legislator’s early bill requests usually are filed as their early bills because these requests were submitted earlier and, therefore, are more likely to be further along in the drafting process than a bill request submitted later. But sometimes an early bill request may be more complicated than expected. In this case, the legislator may choose a relatively simple regular bill request (i.e., a request submitted after the first bill request deadline and before the regular bill request deadline of the 7th day of session) to be one of their bills filed with the House or Senate in time to meet an early bill filing deadline, leaving the legislator with a little more time to work on the more complicated bill request.

    The Office of Legislative Legal Services encourages legislators to designate their prefile bill and other early bills (i.e., the bill order) as soon as possible in early December so that the office can prioritize the drafting of these bills accordingly. If the office does not have a legislator’s bill order on record, it will contact the legislator for this information and will continue contacting the legislator until the information is received.

    The House and Senate early and regular deadlines for filing bills for introduction vary by chamber:

    Bill typeHouse filing deadlinesSenate filing deadlines
    Prefile bills5 days prior to session
    (For 2026 – 1/9/2026)    		5 days prior to session
    (For 2026 – 1/9/2026)
    2 Early bills17th day of session
    (For 2026 – 1/30/2026)    		10th day of session
    (For 2026 – 1/23/2026)
    2 Regular bills31st day of session
    (For 2026 – 2/13/2026)    		24th day of session
    (For 2026 – 2/6/2026)

    Click here for a link to the 2026 Deadline Schedule.

    *  A legislator can ask for permission from the House or Senate Committee on Delayed Bills, whichever is appropriate, to submit additional bill requests or to extend a bill deadline to a different date.

  • Committee Action this Interim

    Photo of an empty committee room.

    Because of budget constraints, the 75th Colorado General Assembly did not approve any new interim committees for this year and suspended the meetings of several current interim committees. However, many year-round and interim committees held meetings and proposed legislation this interim. We are taking this opportunity to share some information regarding the ongoing interim work performed by legislative year-round committees in addition to a handful of interim committees that did meet and propose legislation.

    Year-round, also known as standing, committees can meet during session and the interim in order to perform their legislative duties. The ones that held meetings this interim were:

    The Black Coloradan Racial Equity Study Commission, which includes legislative and non-legislative members. Its stated purpose is to study and make recommendations regarding potential historical and ongoing effects of slavery and subsequent systemic racism on Black Coloradans that may be attributed to the practices, systems, and policies of the state. It is currently working on a report on what it has learned.

    The Capitol Building Advisory Committee, which meets regularly throughout the year to review and advise regarding the Capitol building’s historic character, including its art, memorials, furniture, and architectural fixtures. The committee includes legislative and non-legislative members. Topics the committee discussed this interim include the Capitol Annex Renovation Project, the Governor’s Office Rehabilitation project, and Capitol art exhibits.

    The Capital Development Committee, which is responsible for reviewing funding requests for capital projects from state agencies and making prioritized recommendations to the Joint Budget Committee. This interim, the committee considered property transactions from several executive agencies and the Art in Public Places program, along with other funding requests. The committee is next scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 16.

    The Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws, which is charged with working with the Uniform Law Commission to promote uniformity in state laws where uniformity may be desirable and practicable. Although a year-round committee, the Colorado Commission, which includes legislative and non-legislative members, meets during the interim to take public testimony on uniform laws being considered for introduction in Colorado. Its next meeting is scheduled for 1:30 pm on Friday, December 12.

    The Committee on Legal Services, which meets to review legislative staff recommendations regarding executive branch agency rules. Also, as the oversight committee for the Office of Legislative Legal Services, it may be required to meet to consider other legislative or legal actions. Currently, the committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, December 11 at 8:30 a.m.

    The Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, which provides oversight over the legislative service agencies and their directors, establishes policies regarding legislative management and procedures, and introduces the annual legislative appropriation bill. It meets at least twice during the interim, usually following a meeting of the Legislative Council, but can meet more often as legislative needs demand, such as when the Governor calls for a special session.

    The Joint Budget Committee, which is responsible for studying the management, operations, programs, and fiscal needs of the agencies and institutions of Colorado state government.  It holds a number of meetings throughout the year, with a significant number in November and December, and considers a range of documents to help prepare budget recommendations for the General Assembly. It is currently monitoring this fiscal year’s emerging budgetary needs and gathering information for the next fiscal year’s budget.

    The Joint Technology Committee, which has oversight responsibility for major state technology projects and the Governor’s Office of Information Technology. This interim, it heard technology reports and requests from several executive agencies, including the Colorado Broadband Office, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Personnel and Administration, and Department of Corrections. Currently, it is scheduled to meet next at 9 a.m. on December 16. 

    The Legislative Audit Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and releasing audit reports and recommending special studies. It consists of four senators and four representatives with equal representation from the two major political parties. The committee is currently scheduled to meet next at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 8.

    The Legislative Council, which is the legislative oversight committee for Legislative Council Staff and is responsible for approving written requests for interim study committees during session, reviewing legislation created by interim committees meeting during the legislative interim, and reviewing the ballot information booklet prepared by Legislative Council Staff. It met on November 14 to review legislation proposals from the Transportation Legislation Review Committee, the Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems, the Water Resources and Agricultural Review Committee, and the Wildlife Matters Review Committee. 

    The Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee, which studies the conservation, use, development, and financing of Colorado’s water resources and monitors and addresses Colorado’s agricultural issues. It generally meets several times during the interim and hosts meetings in different areas of the state. This interim, it submitted three bills to the Legislative Council for approval for introduction: Agricultural Property Tax Definitions, Restrict Renewable Energy Projects in Rural Areas, and Protections for Ag Products Grown in Colorado.  

    Interim committees that met during this interim:

    The Colorado Youth Advisory Council Committee, which reviews the work of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council and recommends legislation regarding issues affecting Colorado youth. It met once this interim to consider the COYAC 2024-25 Policy Recommendations.

    The Transportation Legislation Review Committee, which reviews and initiates transportation, traffic, and motor vehicle legislation and consults with experts in the fields of traffic regulation, the licensing of drivers, the registration and titling of motor vehicles, and highway construction and planning. This interim, it considered reports from a number of organizations and submitted two bills to the Legislative Council for introduction approval: Electronic Vehicle Records and Clean Fleet Enter Replace Aging Diesel Trucks. 

    The Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems, which is responsible for overseeing the Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System Task Force and recommending bills to implement the proposals studied by the task force. This interim, the committee submitted three bills to the Legislative Council for introduction approval: Youthful Offender System Updates, Treating People with Behavioral Health Disorder, and Modifications to Defense of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.

    The Wildfire Matters Review Committee, which studies wildfire prevention and mitigation. The committee submitted two bills to the Legislative Council for introduction approval: Recreate Wildfire Matters Interim Committee and CO State Forest Service Good Neighbor Authority. Note that the committee repealed on September 1 of this year.

  • We’ve Moved to the “Annex”!

    Colorado State Capitol Annex Building.

    by Sarah Meisch

    After years of planning and extensive renovations, the time has finally arrived: The Office of Legislative Services (OLLS) has moved out of the Capitol and into the State Capitol Annex Building! On September 19, the OLLS moved out of its office space in the Capitol, and during the week of October 20, the agency moved across the street into the Annex Building, located at 1375 Sherman Street. The OLLS is joining the Colorado State Patrol, the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA), and some Legislative Council Staff (LCS) in the new building.

    Design and history

    The Annex Building has been renovated and refurbished to allow for the relocation of legislative and executive branch staff. Ratio Architects and Slate worked together to design and furnish the office spaces for the OLLS, LCS, and OSA. Both firms worked to balance the need to preserve the building’s historic elements while also bringing the building amenities up to modern standards and sensibilities.

    The Annex Building was built between 1939-1941 as part of the Works Progress Administration and the Public Works Administration, two New Deal programs that alleviated the economic strain of the Great Depression. The building’s Art Deco design was created by local artists and epitomized the more pragmatic energy the Art Deco movement embodied during the Great Depression. Throughout the Annex Building, we still see the austerity and beauty of a period both teeming with vision and bridled by difficult economic realities.

    The designers with Ratio and NINE dot ARTS have reflected the artistic influences of that world within the Annex and blended them with the present moment. Several pieces of the building’s artwork, including historic photos, show what Denver has become and the ways in which the times and fashions have changed throughout the years. 

    Building layout

    There are eight levels in the Annex building, and the agencies have been assigned certain floors and spaces for their office spaces. The legislative branch is assigned the third through seventh floors of the building. With the exception of the seventh floor, which will be common space for the General Assembly, these floors are dedicated to legislative staff agencies. 

    The new home of the OLLS is on the third floor and the north half of the fourth floor. The OLLS reception area, where visitors will come for assistance from our staff, is located on the third floor, in the hall to the southwest of the elevators. The other half of the fourth floor and the entire fifth floor are occupied by the OSA, which has moved from the State Services Building on the north side of the Capitol to join other legislative staff in the Annex. 

    The sixth floor is now home to the committee, research, fiscal notes, and economics staff of the LCS. Those staff relocated from the Capitol and Legislative Services Building (LSB) in late October. The LCS employees that remain in the Capitol Building include the employees within the Resource Center, Legislative Constituent Services, and IT Technical Staff, who continue to occupy Room 048 at the base of the central staircase, and LCS Director Natalie Castle, the Accounting staff, and Visitor Services staff, who remain in Room 011 on the basement level of the Capitol. Additionally, the Legislative Information Services and the print shop will remain housed in the LSB just south of the Capitol.

    The remaining floors of the building are allocated to the executive branch or for common use by building occupants. The basement level houses the Colorado State Patrol, and the first floor includes a cafeteria for building use and shared meeting rooms for the agencies. A security checkpoint will be present on the first floor of the building to monitor and assist all incoming guests and staff. A portion of the first floor and the entire second floor will be home to the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, including Accounting, Operations, Serve Colorado, and the Cabinet Room.

    As part of this larger move of legislative staff, the Legislative Human Resources Division moved to the basement of the LSB. The division’s new office space is located in Room 022, just beyond basement security.

    The OLLS is excited to see you in our new space in the Annex Building! If you have any questions for our office and want to get ahold of our staff, stop by our new offices in the Annex or, as always, you can contact us at (303) 866-2045 or olls.ga@coleg.gov.

    References

    “Colorado State Capitol Annex & Boiler Plant | History Colorado.” History Colorado. Accessed October 9, 2025. http://www.historycolorado.org/location/colorado-state-capitol-annex-boiler-plant. 

  • The “C” in Uniform Law Commission

    Editor’s note: This article was originally written by Patti Dahlberg and Thomas Morris and posted on November 5, 2015. This version has been edited and updated for this publication.

    They come from every state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands and they are the “C” in the ULC – the Commissioners! Uniform Law Commission (ULC) commissioners must be attorneys and currently qualified to practice law. They are practicing lawyers, judges, law professors, legislators, and legislative staff. They are appointed by their state or territory to “research, draft, and promote” the enactment of uniform state laws. Commissioners typically serve for specific terms and receive no salaries or fees for their time or work with the ULC, thus donating literally thousands of hours of their time and expertise each year as a public service.

    Each ULC state or territorial jurisdiction determines the number of its commissioners and how they are appointed; most jurisdictions specify in statute how its commissioners are appointed. In most states, the governor appoints the state’s commissioners to serve a specified term. In a few states, ULC commissioners serve at the will of the appointing authority and have no specific term.

    The Colorado connection

    In Colorado, section 2-3-601 of the Colorado Revised Statutes creates the Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws (CCUSL). The statute directs the General Assembly to appoint or reappoint six commissioners by joint resolution in odd-numbered years. Commissioners are appointed for two-year terms and must be currently licensed to practice law in Colorado. At least two of Colorado’s commissioners must be members of  the General Assembly and at least two of the six must be from the public at large. The director of each state’s legislative legal service office, or the director’s designee, is ex officio a member of that state’s commission. In Colorado, the director of the General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Legal Services, Ed DeCecco, appointed Yelana Love to serve in his stead. The six commissioners appointed or reappointed every other year serve on the CCUSL and with the ULC along with any Colorado citizen who is elected as a life member of the ULC (after 20 years of service). Currently, Colorado has one commissioner who has been elected as a life member: Charles Pike. You can find a list of past and current members of the CCUSL here.

    Commission work at the national level

    State uniform law commissioners come together as the ULC for one purpose—to study and review state laws to determine which areas of law should become more uniform. For more than a century, commissioners have, through various committees, prepared uniform law drafts and redrafts for review and approval at their annual meetings. Since its inception, the ULC has approved more than 200 uniform or model acts, of which more than 100 have been adopted by at least one state. Some have been widely adopted, including the Uniform Commercial Code, which every state has enacted. You can find a list of uniform acts that have been adopted by the Colorado General Assembly here.

    The ULC considers its major asset to be its commissioners. As a working organization, the approximately 350 commissioners participate in drafting specific acts; they discuss, consider, and amend drafts of other commissioners; they decide whether to recommend an act as a uniform or a model act; and they work toward enactment of ULC acts in their home jurisdictions. The procedures of the ULC are meant to promote the meticulous consideration of each uniform and model act, and generally, a minimum of four years is spent during the study, drafting, and adoption phases on each proposed act.

    The ULC can only propose uniform laws; no uniform law is effective until a state legislature enacts it. Thus, the approval of a uniform act at the annual meeting constitutes the start of the commissioners’ duties of advocating for the adoption of uniform and model acts in their home jurisdictions. Uniform laws, just like any other legislative proposal, can meet resistance, but this type of debate is considered normal and reasonable. The ULC wants to foster open discussions about the proposal on a state level.

    Information about uniform acts, drafting projects, committees, meetings, and legislation is available on the ULC’s website.

    For information on Colorado’s ULC connection, visit the CCUSL website.  


    The CCUSL is scheduled to meet on November 12, 2025, to discuss potential legislation for the 2026 session.  CCUSL meeting schedules and agendas are available on the CCUSL website.

  • Who Does What? The Boundaries of Each Branch’s Authority

    Editor’s note: This article was originally written by Julie Pelegrin and posted on July 19, 2012. This version has been edited and updated for this week’s publication.

    by Jery Payne

    During the legislative session, legislators and legislative staff are so busy working with bills and amendments that we sometimes lack the time to step back and see the operations of the legislature in context with the other branches of state government. That is why it can be jarring when the drafter raises separation of power concerns. The specific constitutional authority given to and requirements imposed on each of the branches of state government can get confused and even overlooked in the rush of the legislative session.

    The legislative interim affords us the luxury of time to review the state constitution and some of the court cases interpreting it and to remind ourselves of the roles of the executive, judicial, and, especially,  legislative branches. This article looks at the constitutional authority of each branch of government, including the General Assembly, the constitutional limitations on that authority, and the constitutional requirements imposed on the General Assembly.

    To understand the authority and role of the General Assembly in state government, we must first review how the state constitution generally distributes power in state government. Similar to the organization of powers at the federal level, Article III of the Colorado Constitution organizes power within the state government as follows:

    The powers of the government of this state are divided into three distinct departments,—the legislative, executive and judicial; and no person or collection of persons charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except as in this constitution expressly directed or permitted.

    The state constitution then specifies the powers of the executive branch in Article IV, recognizing the governor as holding the “supreme executive power of the state” and charging the governor with faithfully executing the laws of the state. The governor has several specific constitutional powers, including acting as the commander in chief of the state’s military forces, granting reprieves and pardons, requesting information and reports from the executive branch agencies, annually reporting on the state of the state to the General Assembly, and annually accounting for the state’s expenditures and estimating the state’s anticipated revenues.

    The state constitution gives the governor several powers that relate specifically to the General Assembly. The governor can convene the General Assembly in a special legislative session or adjourn the General Assembly if the House and  Senate cannot agree on an adjournment date. The governor can veto entire substantive bills and veto specific line-items in appropriations bills. If the governor does not act to either sign or veto a bill within specified time periods, however, the bill becomes law without the signature.

    The state constitution also lays out the powers of the judicial branch. Article VI specifically creates several courts, most notably a Supreme Court and district courts, to exercise the judicial power of the state. And Article VI authorizes the General Assembly to create additional courts. The General Assembly used this authority to create the Colorado Court of Appeals in statute.

    Article VI goes on to describe the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the district courts, and the other courts listed in the constitution and the terms and qualifications of justices and judges. The state constitution also specifically authorizes the Supreme Court to adopt rules for the administration of the courts and for procedures in civil and criminal cases.

    Article V of the state constitution establishes the legislative branch, giving it the “legislative power of the state,” but reserving to the people the powers of initiative and referendum. The other specific powers given to the General Assembly are the powers to adopt rules governing its proceedings and rules for enforcing its procedures, disciplining members, protecting members from violence and offers of bribes, and expelling members. The General Assembly’s list of specific powers is short because, unlike Congress and unlike the executive and judicial branches, the Colorado General Assembly’s power is plenary, rather than enumerated. This means that the General Assembly need not find a grant of power to legislate on a topic. So long as the legislation does not violate the state or federal constitutions, the General Assembly has the power to legislate on the subject.

    The state constitution separates the powers of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches with the intent that each will exercise only those powers assigned to it and will not attempt to exercise powers assigned to one of the other branches; each will play in its own sandbox, so to speak. Not surprisingly, however, there is significant overlap among the separated powers.

    For example, the General Assembly may adopt mandatory parole requirements, but these do not violate the court’s authority to sentence a defendant. (People v. Barth, 981 P.2d 1102 (Colo. App. 1999)). And although the state constitution gives the Supreme Court authority to set the procedural rules for criminal and civil trials, the General Assembly by statute may change those rules for substantive policy reasons, so long as the changes do not violate constitutional rights. (People v. Smith, 182 Colo. 228, 512 P.2d 269 (1973).)

    Similarly, the state constitution gives the legislative power to the General Assembly, but the General Assembly can authorize an executive branch agency to adopt rules, so long as there are sufficient guidelines and safeguards. (Colo. Auto & Truck Wreckers Ass’n v. Dept. of Rev., 618 P.2d 646 (Colo. 1980)). And a court, in interpreting a statute, can require an executive branch agency to spend its appropriated funds for specific uses. (Goebel v. Colo. Dept. of Institutions, 764 P.2d 785 (Colo. 1988)).

    The separation of powers among the three branches of government  is real and enforceable, but these divisions are often neither as bright nor as distinct as some would like. When one of the branches does not exercise its authority, one of the other branches may attempt to use these ambiguities to usurp that authority. For example, if the General Assembly does not enact a policy through legislation, the executive branch may attempt to enact that policy either through an executive order or by rule-making. If this happens, the General Assembly may protect its constitutional authority either by enacting legislation to affirm or reverse the executive branch’s action or by bringing suit against the executive branch.

  • The 2026 Legislative Session Is Comin’ in Hot

    The Second Regular Session of the Seventy-Fifth General Assembly will convene on January 14, 2026.

    The 2026 legislative session will convene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14, but, as those of us who follow the legislature know—particularly OLLS drafting attorneys—bill drafting starts long before that date. In fact, legislators have been submitting bill requests for the upcoming session since the end of the last session. (Thank you, early birds!)

    Life outside the Capitol can get very busy – especially when there is a special session like we had in August –  making it easy to forget that the first bill request deadline for legislators is December 1. This first deadline is for a legislator’s first three bill requests. After December 1, a legislator may submit up to two additional bill requests, for a total of five bill requests allowed by rule per legislator per session.*

    Once a legislator has submitted bill requests to the OLLS, the legislator must choose one of those requests to be a “prefile” bill. The designated prefile bill must be drafted, edited, revised, finalized, and filed with the House or the Senate several days before the January convening date. Generally, the bill deadlines require legislators to have completed, with the help of OLLS drafters, the bulk of their bill drafting well before the first day of the legislative session.

    What legislators need to know about requesting bills [Joint Rule 24 (b)(1)(A)]:

    • The Joint Rules allow each legislator five bill requests each session. These five bill requests are in addition to any appropriations, committee-approved, or sunset bill requests that a legislator may choose to carry. (Legislators are not required to carry five bills.)
    • To reach the five-bill request limit within the bill request deadlines, legislators must submit at least three bill requests to OLLS by the early request deadline (December 1). Then legislators must submit the remaining  two requests (assuming the legislator is under the five-request limit), by the seventh legislative day. For the 2026 legislative session, this deadline is January 20.
    • If a legislator submits fewer than three requests on or before the early bill request deadline, the legislator forfeits the remaining of those three bill requests due by that date, but the legislator may still request two additional bills by the January 20 deadline.* (Legislators are not required to carry five bills.)
    • The first bill request deadline is still a couple of months away, but OLLS recommends legislators work with drafters well ahead of the December 1 deadline on the first three bill requests. (Hint hint!) The legislator will also need to quickly decide which of these requests will become a “prefile” bill, which needs to be filed for introduction prior to the first day of the legislative session. For the 2026 legislative session, the deadline to file prefile bills with the House and Senate is Friday, January 9.

    Legislators can submit bill requests to OLLS by phone, email, or in person. (We like it when you stop by! Note, however, that we are all working remotely until we can move into our new location on the third floor of the Annex Building, so please wait to stop by in person until after we move into the Annex in late October.) Including as much drafting information as possible and the names of any contacts with drafting authority helps bill drafters start work on the bill request right away.

    Legislators: If you have not yet submitted a bill request, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Bill requests may address any subject and do not need to be completely conceptualized. The assigned bill drafter will help you with the wording of your bill, and the bill drafting process allows for potential issues or problems to rise to the surface and make it easier for you to decide whether the idea is “workable.” If a request is no longer needed or wanted, you can withdraw and replace it with a new request, as long as that decision is communicated to the bill drafter before the December 1 bill request deadline. By submitting bill requests and draft information as quickly as possible, legislators give OLLS drafters and editors more time to work on the drafts and make it easier to determine if there are duplicate bill requests and work out any drafting kinks before the first day of session.

    Legislators can submit more than three requests before the early bill request deadline. If a legislator submits three requests by December 1 and later withdraws one of them, the legislator forfeits the withdrawn bill request because the rules allow a legislator to submit only two bill requests after the December deadline.* If a legislator submits four bill requests by the early bill request deadline and later withdraws one, the legislator is left with three bill requests that met the early request deadline. That legislator can still submit the two requests that are allowed after the early bill request deadline—for a total of five bill requests.

    Upcoming deadlines: Too many to remember and too important to forget! Click here for the 2026 deadline schedule. 

    But for now, remember these 2026 bill request deadlines:

    • Monday, December 1, 2025. The last day for legislators to request their first three (or early) bill requests. After this date, legislators are only allowed two additional bill requests, with a limit of up to five bill requests total. 
    • Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The last day for legislators to request their final two (or regular) bill requests. (This applies only to legislators who have not yet requested all five of their allowed bills.)

    Good luck, legislators, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to OLLS with any questions!

     * A legislator may seek permission from the House or Senate Committee on Delayed Bills, whichever is appropriate, to submit additional bill requests or to waive a bill request deadline.