Explaining Colorado’s Legislative Session – [Part 1]

Explaining Colorado’s Legislative Session – [Part 1]

The Colorado Legislature, also known as the Colorado General Assembly (“CGA”), is one of three branches of state government. It is responsible for passing laws and setting the state budget. The CGA consists of 100 members: 35 Senators (Senate) and 65 Representatives (House). Senate and House districts are determined by population per district. Depending on the county’s population, districts can be made up of whole or partial counties. Every ten years, the federal government conducts a census. This census is then used to determine the population of Colorado and its 100 electoral districts.

Colorado’s legislature meets annually, beginning in January and continuing for 120 days – convening in early May. During the interim session, early May through the end of the year, many bills go through an idea phase, otherwise known as “policy development.” Once the policy is developed, a legislator must agree to sponsor the bill. Once sponsored, the legislator will work with the Office of Legislative Legal Services to draft the idea into a bill. Many stakeholders (other legislators, advocates, lobbyists, etc.) work to refine the bill to ensure it achieves the goals set forth during the development phase.

Once the Session begins, a bill will be introduced to the House or the Senate, where it will then be assigned a bill number and committee(s) hearings. The bill must pass through both chambers. Upon introduction, the bill is also assigned a public hearing where the sponsors present their bill to the committee and answer any questions. Then, the committee opens the floor for public testimony. The committee will then consider any amendments to the bill and finally vote on whether the bill will continue to the next step or be postponed indefinitely, ending the bill’s journey in the legislature.

If a bill is passed to the next phase, it will go to a vote of the full House or Senate. After this phase, also known as the “second reading,” the bill will go in front of the Second Chamber, known as the “third reading.” There is often some back and forth in this phase. If the Second Chamber makes any amendments, the bill must go back to its original Chamber for reconsideration, where the amendments can be accepted and repassed, or a conference committee can be called to negotiate a version that both Chambers agree on. The other outcome would be that the amendments are rejected, and the bill fails.

If the bill makes it through the Chambers, its final destination is the desk of the Governor. The Governor has three options: (1) sign the bill into law; (2) veto the bill; or (3) neither. If the Governor signs the bill, it will become law. If the bill is vetoed and the legislature is still in session, both Chambers can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote. If the legislature is in session, the bill will succeed. If the bill is unsigned, the bill will become law without signature.

We will cover the next steps in our follow-up in April.

This article is informational only. The presentation or use of this information does not in any manner constitute an attorney-client relationship between BHGR and the website user. While the information on this site concerns legal issues, it is not intended as legal advice or a substitute for particularized advice from your own legal counsel.