Facing an intense shortfall in state spending, lawmakers trimmed the budget through a flurry of bills this past week.
Specifically, Colorado legislators introduced a measure to repeal the Colorado Student Leaders Institute and one that would adjust the percentage of the bond forfeitures deposited in the judicial fund. Lawmakers also put forward a bill that would reduce the state-paid portion of assistant district attorney salaries at each judicial district from 50% to 25%.
All three bills passed a third reading in the Senate with no amendments as of April 3.
But lawmakers didn’t just slash and burn to prop up the state budget this week. Another bill introduced would reimburse participating school food authorities for free meals those authorities provide to students.
An additional bill addresses an issue of increasing intensity for attorneys in the digital age: the burden of electronic discovery. The measure would establish a task force to study the costs and management of e-discovery in criminal cases.
Not only were all of these bills bipartisan, they’ve all sped through the legislature on nearly identical paths this week.
Bill Number: HB25-1311
Title: Deductions for Net Sports Betting Proceeds
Introduced: March 28
Sponsors: J. McCluskie, M. Soper, D. Roberts
Summary: As approved by voters in 2019, a tax of 10% is imposed on net sports betting proceeds. Under current law, for the purpose of calculating its net sports betting proceeds, a sports betting operator or internet sports betting operator is allowed to deduct all payments to players, all federal excise taxes paid and a certain percentage of free bets placed by players. Beginning on Sept. 1, 2025, the bill removes the deduction for all free bets placed.
Bill Number: SB25-205
Title: Firearm Serial Number Check Request Procedure
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: N. Hinrichsen, C. Espenoza
Summary: The bill establishes a procedure allowing a federal firearms licensee to request a firearm serial number check prior to purchasing a firearm from an individual and requires a local county sheriff’s office to complete the serial number check within 72 hours after the request. The bill imposes a penalty on a licensee if they fail to file a report with law enforcement when the licensee reasonably believes, knows or should know that a person sold or attempted to sell a firearm that is stolen, lost or involved in an open criminal investigation.
Bill Number: HB25-1315
Title: Vacancies in the General Assembly
Introduced: March 31
Sponsors: E. Sirota, R. Pugliese, M. Weissman, B. Kirkmeyer
Summary: The bill changes the number of committeepersons elected at a political party’s precinct caucus from two to four. Current law requires the political party central committee of most jurisdictions to select a vacancy committee to fill vacancies in the central committee and in the district and state offices held by members of the political party. Current law also requires a vacancy committee to consist of, at a minimum, the members of the central committee of a jurisdiction.
Bill Number: SB25-214
Title: Healthy School Meals for All Program
Introduced: March 31
Sponsors: J. Bridges, J. Amabile, E. Sirota, R. Taggart
Summary: The healthy school meals for all program reimburses participating school food authorities for meals that those authorities provide to students without charge. The bill also allows for the amount of these reimbursements to be modified in two different scenarios. First, if a referred measure that would, beginning with the 2026 state income tax year, increase state taxes annually by at least $90 million in connection with the program is not approved by the voters voting on the referred measure at the 2025 statewide election, the Department of Education is required to only provide reimbursements to participating school food authorities for meals served at eligible sites. Second, if the department, in consultation with the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, determines that the amount that the General Assembly appropriated for the purpose of providing reimbursements to a participating school food authority is less than the costs of the department providing those reimbursements, the department may request a supplemental appropriation or an overexpenditure.
Bill Number: SB25-215
Title: Repealing Colorado Student Leaders Institute
Introduced: March 31
Sponsors: J. Bridges, B. Kirkmeyer, S. Bird, R. Taggart
Summary: The bill repeals the Colorado Student Leaders Institute, created in the Department of Education, on Sept. 1, 2026. Before the repeal of the institute, the bill requires the department, in collaboration with the host institution of higher education that operates the institute and the advisory committee, to return, to the extent possible, money remaining in the institute’s cash fund to each grantor, donor or student in an amount that is proportional to their share of the total amount.
Bill Number: SB25-240
Title: Electronic Discovery in Criminal Cases Task Force
Introduced: March 31
Sponsors: J. Bridges, B. Kirkmeyer, S. Bird, R. Taggart
Summary: The bill creates the electronic discovery in criminal cases task force, which consists of 13 task force members. The purpose of the task force is to study the costs and management of electronic discovery in criminal cases.
Bill Number: SB25-241
Title: Deposit Bond Forfeitures in Judicial Fund
Introduced: March 31
Sponsors: J. Amabile, B. Kirkmeyer, E. Sirota, R. Taggart
Summary: The bill requires 75% of the money collected from a bond forfeiture judgment against an individual to be deposited in the judicial collection enhancement fund. The bill requires all the money collected from a bail forfeiture judgment against an appearance bond written by a compensated surety to be deposited in the judicial collection enhancement fund.
Bill Number: SB25-244
Title: Reduce State Funding Assistant District Attorney Salaries
Introduced: March 31
Sponsors: J. Amabile, B. Kirkmeyer, E. Sirota, R. Taggart
Summary: The bill reduces the portion of the salary of the assistant district attorney for each judicial district that the state must pay on and after July 1, 2026, from 50% to 25%.
Law Week’s legislative tracking is done through State Bill, a product of our publisher, Circuit Media.