Fiscal Year 2026-27 Legislative Appropriation Bill
Summary
HB26-1333 is the annual appropriations bill for the Colorado legislative department for state fiscal year 2026-27. It sets a total legislative department appropriation of $76,394,609, drawn primarily from the general fund, and allocates funding among the General Assembly, the Office of the State Auditor, the Joint Budget Committee, the Legislative Council, the Committee on Legal Services, and PERA-related employer contribution obligations. The bill also includes a separate $50,000 general fund appropriation to the youth advisory council cash fund.
In addition to the new fiscal year funding, the bill makes a technical change to the prior year’s legislative appropriation act by carrying forward up to $30,000 from the 2025-26 Legislative Council appropriation for new legislator orientation and official functions if unspent by July 1, 2026. The bill also notes an expected return of about $203,077 to the general fund from the tax levy on civil actions, which is included for informational purposes and helps offset the cost of revising statutes by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.
Impact
The bill directly affects state budget law by appropriating operating funds for the legislative branch and specifying full-time equivalent staffing assumptions for each legislative entity. It does not create new regulatory programs or alter substantive policy statutes, but it does amend the prior year appropriations act and continues existing funding mechanisms for legislative operations, audits, legal services, and pension-related obligations. It also maintains the youth advisory council cash fund appropriation and references the civil actions tax levy as an offset to statutory revision expenses.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support and little controversy. The bill passed committee and floor votes overwhelmingly in both chambers, including unanimous or near-unanimous votes at several stages, and the House concurred in the Senate amendments without opposition. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as a routine appropriations bill rather than a contested policy proposal.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the record. The only recorded split vote was a 5-2 Senate Appropriations vote to advance the bill as amended, which indicates some limited disagreement at the committee level, likely over the amendment or appropriation details rather than the bill’s overall purpose. Otherwise, the bill’s funding levels, FTE assumptions, and the carryforward language for legislative council orientation funds appear to have been accepted without significant dispute.