Colorado LegiSource

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

Author: olls

  • “See you in court!” – But Which One?

    by Chuck Brackney

    The press often covers stories that involve the executive branch agencies and what they do, and, during the legislative session, the legislative branch is often in the news. Seldom, however, do we hear much about the judicial branch. We get reports of controversial or high-profile Supreme Court decisions, and we watch the progress of sensational trials, but there’s much more to the judicial branch than messy divorces, gory murder trials, and appeals to the Supreme Court. (more…)

  • Powers, Duties, and Functions of Executive Branch Agencies (Type 1, type 2, and type 3 transfers)

    by Rebecca Hausmann

    If you’re anything like me, you might find type 1, type 2, and type 3 transfers a little confusing. First of all, what are they for? What’s the difference between the three types of transfers? And just why, exactly, are they called “transfers”, even when a new agency is created? (more…)

  • Do It Right – Researching Legislative History: What to Look For and Where to Find It

    by: Peggy Lewis and Matt Dawkins

    Imagine it’s six months from now, the leaves are just starting to turn, there’s a hint of fall in the air, and you get a call from a constituent who wants to know, “What was the intent of the legislature in passing that bill?” That’s actually a much more difficult question to answer than it might seem at first blush. (more…)

  • When Two Bills Collide: What to do when your bill has a conflict

    by Nate Carr

    You’re feeling great!  The bill you’ve been working on for months has just cleared third reading on the floor.  A few amendments were added before it passed, but that’s okay.  Leadership dismisses everyone for the day, and you leave the chambers.  The next morning you return to your desk to find a letter from the Publications Coordinator and the Revisor of Statutes titled “Revisor’s Comment”.  Both work in the Office of Legislative Legal Services.  You open the letter to discover that they are alerting you to a conflict that your bill has with one or more other bills circulating through the process.  You may experience a touch of anxiety, but don’t worry, the OLLS staff is ready and willing to work with you to resolve the conflict. (more…)

  • Verifiable Oddities in Colorado’s History-The Snowshoe Chaplain of the State Senate

    by Ashley Zimmerman

    His face appears on a stained glass window in the dome of the Colorado capitol. He arrived in Colorado in the summer of 1861, delivered mail on snowshoes throughout the mountain range, and delivered nearly daily sermons in gold rush towns. In 1885, the Colorado Senate welcomed him as the first Senate Chaplain. His name was John L. Dyer. (more…)

  • After my bill is delivered to the House or the Senate, how do I add sponsors?

    After you approve your bill draft for introduction, the OLLS will deliver it to the front desk of the House or the Senate or the OLLS will deliver it to the sergeants who will give the bill to you. Please do not contact the OLLS to add sponsors after your bill has been delivered to the front desk or to you.

    Sponsors
    If the sergeants deliver the bill to you, you will receive a copy of your bill stapled to a heavier sheet of green paper (if you’re a representative) or buff paper (if you’re a senator).  This is called a “bill back”. Also attached to the bill back are a sheet of paper with the name of each senator and one with the name of each representative. If you would like a representative or senator to sign on as a sponsor for your bill, ask that person to sign the attached paper next to his or her name. When you turn the bill back in to the front desk, the staff will include each person who has signed as a sponsor of your bill before the bill is sent to the printer, and the sponsor names will appear on the introduced version of the bill. Neither the House nor the Senate can add sponsors after your bill is sent to the printer.

    Prime sponsors
    If you want to designate your second-house prime sponsor after your bill is delivered upstairs, you must sign a form that formally designates the second-house prime sponsor before your bill passes on third reading. The form is available from the Chief Clerk of the  House, for representatives, or the Secretary of the Senate, for senators. If you sign the form and turn it in to the front desk with your bill back or before your bill goes to the printer, the front desk staff will add the second-house prime sponsor immediately, and his or her name will appear on the introduced version of your bill.

    After your bill is printed and introduced, anyone who wants to sign on as a co-sponsor will have an opportunity to do so on third reading.