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During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered a number of measures related to elections, including bills addressing ballot access by candidates, ballot measures, local elections, and voting.  Several redistricting bills were also considered in anticipation of the 2021 redistricting cycle.

This memorandum provides an overview of the various Public Health Orders issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) during the declared disaster emergency related to COVID‑19 in Colorado.  Thirteen public health orders have been issued since March, 2020.

Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who requires assistance to care for themselves.  Care can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family member, volunteer, paid service provider, or in a community-based care setting.  This issue brief provides an overview of state respite care services.

This memorandum provides information about the regulation of professions and occupations in Colorado.  Over 100 professions and occupations are currently required to be licensed, certified, or registered in Colorado, or are authorized to use an exclusive professional title, known as title protection.  The Division of Professions and Occupations in the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) regulates the majority of professions and occupations.  Certain professions are regulated by other state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Educatio

Colorado's Adult Protective Services (APS) system, first established in 1983, protects at-risk adults who, because of mental or physical ability, are unable to obtain services or otherwise protect their own health, safety, and welfare.  This issue brief provides an overview of the APS system in Colorado, highlights data on APS reports and investigations, and outlines how information on APS investigations is stored and used in the Colorado Adult Protective Service Data System (CAPS). 

This issue brief provides information about how to register a number on the Colorado and federal no‑call lists; an overview of Colorado's regulation and enforcement of telemarketers; an explanation of which calls are not subject to telemarketing laws; and a summary of federal provisions regarding telemarketing.

This issue brief focuses on additional strategies that local governments and communities in Colorado are using to meet the housing needs of residents. 

In 2019, Colorado enacted House Bill 19-1261, establishing statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals.  Colorado also enacted Senate Bill 19‑096, requiring the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to promulgate rules to collect and report on GHG data and to implement measures to meet these GHG emissions reduction goals.

This issue brief provides an overview of state‑sponsored retirement plans, retirement plan marketplaces, and multiple employer retirement plans for private sector workers. The brief also includes a discussion of related federal laws and Congressional activity.

During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to water, including water demand and conservation, water studies, instream flows, funding for water projects, and other water bills. 

Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Prison Population Management Interim Study Committee.

The Legislative Council Staff's Energy Handbook is intended to serve as a reference guide to Colorado's energy sector.  The book is divided into five sections.  Section I covers the sources and uses of energy in Colorado.  Section II explains how severance taxes and federal mineral lease moneys are calculated and distributed.  Section III looks at energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.  Section IV provides an overview of the state departments involved in energy issues.  Section V highlights local governments' role in energy.  The handbook also includes t

This memorandum provides information on the Regional Transportation District (RTD).

Individuals convicted of criminal offenses are typically required by the court to pay associated fines, fees, and surcharges.  This memorandum provides an overview of the fines and fees that are imposed upon a criminal conviction in Colorado, including those financial obligations that support supervision and incarceration.  The collection and distribution of funds is also covered.  

This memorandum provides a summary of the various Executive Orders and Public Health Orders issued during the declared disaster emergency related to the presence of COVID‑19 in Colorado.

During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to transportation funding, commercial vehicles, motor vehicles, and other transportation issues.

Vaccinations offer protection from common infectious diseases.  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends specific vaccines for all infants, children, and adults during their lifetime to provide immunity from preventable illness.  A recent analysis estimated that for children born in a single year in the United States, vaccination prevented nearly 20 million cases of disease and over 40,000 deaths.

House Bill 20-1418 amended the Public School Finance Act of 1994 to provide funding for school districts in FY 2020-21.  The bill was signed by the Governor on June 30, 2020, and took effect on that date.  This memorandum summarizes the primary funding changes for school finance contained in this bill.  Estimates in this memorandum will be adjusted during the 2021 legislative session based on actual pupil counts and local property tax collections.

This memorandum provides an overview of the financial incentives for solar power offered by utilities in Colorado, as well as other incentives, including net metering programs and state tax incentives.

The harmful effects of secondhand smoke and emissions from tobacco, marijuana, and electronic smoking devices continue to be an issue in Colorado.  Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the heart and blood vessels that lead to heart disease, and causes respiratory issues in children.  According to the National Institutes of Health, secondhand smoke from marijuana contains the same

During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to its operations, state employees and retirement plans, state agencies and procurement, open records and meetings, and notarization.  Several of the bills were in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related state disaster emergency declared by the Governor in March.