Editor’s note: This article was originally written by Julie Pelegrin and Patti Dahlberg and posted on March 20, 2015. This version has been updated where appropriate. Section 19 of article V of the state constitution specifies that an act takes effect “on the date stated in the act, or, if no date is stated in the act, then on its passage.” This seems simple enough. But there are other considerations and constitutional provisions that can affect when a bill eventually becomes law. To determine the date that a bill becomes law, you will need to read the last few sections of the… Read more: When Does an Act Become a Law? It depends.

Editor’s note: This article was originally written by Julie Pelegrin and posted on April 18, 2019. This version has been expanded and updated where appropriate. On May 8, legislators, legislative staff, lobbyists, and capitol reporters can all hit the snooze button and roll over for another hour of sleep. But between now and then, there are several amendments to read, bills to consider, and differences to resolve. To help ensure that both houses can complete their work by midnight on May 7, the legislative rules automatically speed up or suspend certain procedural requirements in the last few days of the… Read more: Automatic Rule Changes During the Last Days of Session

Editor’s Note: This article was originally written by Bob Lackner and published on April 27, 2017. This version has been updated where appropriate. As with many legislatures, the Colorado General Assembly prides itself on being a “citizen legislature,” which means it is comprised of citizens who take leave from their normal jobs and other duties every January to come to the State Capitol for 120 days to legislate for the people of the state. Not only is it presumed that legislators will continue to serve as teachers, farmers, ranchers, realtors, attorneys, and the like while serving in office, but this… Read more: Reducing Conflicts Over Conflicts (of Interest)

by Alana Rosen Have you ever gotten confused by what schools are considered public schools in Colorado? Join the club! The following is a simple guide on some of the different types of public schools offered in Colorado that may be subject to discussion during the legislative process. Neighborhood Schools Neighborhood schools are also known as public schools, traditional schools, or schools of a school district. Neighborhood schools are the most commonly known type of school maintained by school districts within the state. Resident students of the district can enroll in neighborhood schools. Nonresident students may apply to enroll in… Read more: Understanding the Different Types of Colorado Public Schools

Editor’s Note: This article was originally written by Julie Pelegrin and Patti Dahlberg and published on February 6, 2020. The article has been edited where appropriate. 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, you will be tempted to just check the summary that appears on the first page of the bill. But, unless the bill is in the first committee in the first house,… Read more: How to Keep Up with a Changing Bill

by Jacob Baus Few things are certain in life. In the General Assembly, school finance is one of the few things that is annually certain. School finance has a reputation for being a confusing topic. That is a somewhat fair reputation because it is easy to quickly lose the forest for the trees. But the goal of this article is to try to make school finance less confusing. Let us start with the basics. Colorado Constitution Pursuant to the Colorado Constitution, the General Assembly is responsible “for the establishment and maintenance of a thorough and uniform system of free public… Read more: School Finance 101: District Total Program Basics

by Jessica Chapman Can you believe Siri is a teenager? The digital assistant first became available as an iOS app in 2010. Amazon’s Alexa started interrupting living room and kitchen conversations not long after in 2014. These technologies exposed many people to artificial intelligence for the first time. These days, “AI” seems to touch every part of our lives in some way or another. We’re exposed to it daily in online customer service, map applications, weather forecasting, email reminders, and autocomplete functions (when texting for example). AI-enhanced robots clean airplanes now. AI Note Takers join our meetings. We have self-driving… Read more: AI is Coming to a Legislature Near You

Editor’s note: This article was last posted on April 8, 2021, and has been edited as appropriate. Updated by Sarah Meisch When legislators wish to show support for individuals or groups, make public statements about issues or concerns, or ask Congress to take action on a matter, they may request a tribute, resolution, or memorial to get the job done. Legislators decide what they wish to do, and the legislative rules direct them how to get it done. This handy guide sums up these rules for making the right choice. For example, if a legislator wants to congratulate someone, a… Read more: Tribute, Resolution, or Memorial – Making the Right Choice

by Faith Marcovecchio  Esther van Mourik, the new Secretary of the Senate of the Colorado General Assembly, was sworn in on January 8, 2025.  No stranger to the Colorado Capitol, van Mourik has worked in various roles in the legislative and executive branches for over two decades, and she is delighted that former Secretary Cindi Markwell is passing her the torch. The nonpartisan Senate Secretary oversees all the operations on the Senate floor, working closely with Colorado’s 35 senators and the numerous staff who support their work. LegiSource spoke to van Mourik as the 75th General Assembly prepared to convene… Read more: Let’s Get to Know: Senate Secretary Esther van Mourik

by Jessica Chapman Vanessa Reilly is the new Chief Clerk of the Colorado House of Representatives. She started the job on November 1, 2024, filling the large shoes of Robin Jones, who retired last year after decades of service to the state. As Chief Clerk, Reilly oversees operations on the House floor and serves as one of the first points of contact for legislators seeking procedural or logistical information. She is also responsible for overseeing a number of House staff, including House sergeants, front desk staff, assignables, and the House enrolling room. LegiSource spoke with Reilly in mid-September. This interview… Read more: Let’s Get to Know: House Chief Clerk Vanessa Reilly

by Ed DeCecco For the seventy-fifth time, the Colorado House of Representatives and Senate will convene for two regular sessions and, if recent history is any indication, a special session or two. (Being the seventy-fifth makes it seem like the General Assembly has reached a milestone age or is celebrating its diamond jubilee, doesn’t it?) Like your predecessors, you, the members of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly, will converge on our magnificent State Capitol from all parts of this amazing state. You will elect your leadership, adopt and follow rules of legislative procedure, and debate and decide the important issues of… Read more: Welcome, Members of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly. The Office of Legislative Legal Services is here to help!

Happy New Year! We wish you a happy and healthy 2025. The First Regular Session of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly will convene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season! (Denver Mile High Tree, inside)

by Richard Sweetman On June 25, 2020, protesters pulled down the statue of the civil war soldier that stood atop the pedestal monument near the west steps of the Colorado capitol. Since that day, legislators and members of the American Indian community have discussed a replacement monument. But, to this day, the space where the civil war soldier statue once stood remains empty. The original plan to replace the civil war soldier with a statue of an American Indian woman mourning the events of the Sand Creek massacre was approved by the Capitol Building Advisory Committee in November 2020. The… Read more: Plans Continue for Sand Creek Memorial Near Capitol West Steps

Editor’s Note: This article was originally written by Jennifer Gilroy, Michael Dohr, and Jessica Chapman and published on December 15, 2022. The article has been edited and updated. by Alana Rosen Bill drafting season is well underway at the Office of Legislative Legal Services, which means now is probably a good time to review some of the basics of bill sponsorship. Prime Sponsorship Basics Prime Sponsorship – First Chamber. The legislator who introduces and carries a bill is called the prime sponsor of the bill. Bills cannot be introduced without a prime sponsor. In both the House and the Senate, the prime sponsor… Read more: Back to the Basics: Bill Sponsorship Overview

    Happy Thanksgiving from the Office of Legislative Legal Services 

Would becoming only the third Revisor of Statutes in the history of the Office of Legislative Legal Services be better than, for instance, spotting the “striking and unmistakable” Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and hearing its Morse-code-like drumming? You’d have to ask Yelana Love, who, on October 14, 2024, succeeded Jennifer Gilroy in the position. In her decade as an attorney with the office, Yelana has developed extensive expertise in areas of the law that include labor and employment, health care, professions and occupations, and alcohol beverage regulation. As members of the General Assembly and her coworkers will tell you, she is known… Read more: OLLS’s Resident Birder Takes Flight as New Revisor

by Michael Dohr For a casual observer of the Colorado General Assembly, the process may seem chaotic and disorganized, and seasoned veterans of the General Assembly can attest to the chaos and uncertainty. But behind the constant hive of activity, there are rules intended to keep the General Assembly on track to sine die. Those rules include deadlines that determine when bills must be requested, introduced, heard in committee, considered on the floor, and ultimately passed. Did you know those deadlines changed in the 2024 session? During the 2024 session, the General Assembly adopted SJR 24-001, Changes to the Deadline… Read more: Session Deadlines Reminder: They Have Changed

by Jessica Wigent When legislators and former and current coworkers throughout Gotham the capitol building speak of Jennifer Gilroy, they tell of her marvel-ous superpowers as a fierce defender (of the integrity of the Colorado Revised Statutes), a protector and guardian (of legislative history), and a superintelligent expert (in legislative rules and ethics). Yet, after 32 years with the Office of Legislative Legal Services, on October 15, 2024, Jennifer Gilroy hung up her cape retired her title of Revisor of Statutes. While her origin story as an attorney begins in private practice, Jennifer eventually joined the rogues’ esquires’ gallery of… Read more: The OLLS’s Guardian of the Statutes is Retiring

This is the second of two articles summarizing this year’s interim committee actions. Since the end of the last legislative session several legislative committees held public meetings to discuss topics relevant to Colorado and to recommend legislation to the Legislative Council for approval for introduction in 2025. As mentioned in the first part of this series posted last week, this article contains the summaries of the last five of 10 committees and their recommended legislation. The Legislative Council met on Tuesday, October 15, to review interim committee legislation proposals. Click here to listen to the Legislative Council meeting. Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Committee The committee met four… Read more: 2024 Interim Committee Recap – Part 2