HB 26-1331

HB 26-1331 is a Colorado bill that limits the activities of legislative interim committees for the year 2026. It restricts these committees from requesting more than five bills to be drafted and three to be introduced, stops members from receiving payment for attending meetings, and suspends certain committee meetings and reports. The bill also reduces funding for the legislative department by over $396,000 and eliminates two specific committees. Since it has been signed into law, these changes will take effect as planned for the 2026 interim period, affecting how legislators work between regular sessions.

Official Summary

Executive Committee of the Legislative Council. The bill modifies legislative interim committee activities during the 2026 legislative interim (interim). Specifically, the bill:Prohibits the legislative council of the general assembly from prioritizing any requests for interim committees, including task forces, for the 2026 interim;For an interim committee that meets during the 2026 interim, limits the number of bills the interim committee can request to be drafted to 5 and can recommend for introduction to 3;Prohibits members serving on statutorily created interim committees from receiving per diem and travel expenses for attending interim committee meetings during the 2026 interim;Prohibits meetings, field trips, and legislative recommendations and reports by, and suspends for one year certain reports required to be submitted to, existing interim committees, including the capital development committee; legislative oversight committee for Colorado jail standards; American Indian affairs interim committee; legislation inside advisory council review committee; Colorado health insurance exchange oversight committee; legislative oversight committee concerning the treatment of persons with behavioral health disorders in the criminal and juvenile justice systems; pension review commission and pension review subcommittee; legislative oversight committee concerning tax policy; and sales and use tax simplification task force;Prohibits meetings and other activities of the transportation legislation review committee and the water resources and agricultural review committee during the 2026-27 state fiscal year; andRepeals the legislative emergency preparedness, response, and recovery committee and the statewide health care review committee.      The bill decreases the appropriations in House Bill 26-1333, concerning the payment of the expenses of the legislative department, for the 2026-27 state fiscal year for the legislative department as follows:The general fund appropriation for the general assembly is decreased by $126,971;The general fund appropriation for the legislative council is decreased by $161,162, and the related FTE is decreased by 1.9 FTE; andThe general fund appropriation for the committee on legal services is decreased by $108,336, and the related FTE is decreased by 1.4 FTE.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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