The Journey Of A Bill To A Law In Colorado

The legislative process in Colorado is complex and challenging to track, but it plays a crucial role in shaping the state's laws and values. A bill undergoes multiple stages and requires public input and advocacy to become a law. The process is influenced by various factors, including public hearings, political considerations, and the involvement of different stakeholders. Understanding how a bill becomes a law in Colorado is essential for citizens who want to actively participate in the democratic process and influence the policies that affect their lives.

The bill is introduced

The legislative process begins with an idea, which can come from anywhere—businesses, school boards, citizens, public interest groups, non-profit organisations, advocacy groups, and so on. For the idea to be considered, a legislator must agree to sponsor it and request for a bill to be drafted by the Office of Legislative Legal Services. Every bill must have a "prime" sponsor from each chamber of the house before a draft can be created. Once the initial sponsor approves the draft bill, it is delivered to either the House or the Senate for its first reading.

When a bill is first introduced, it is assigned a bill number and a committee for a public hearing. The bill may be assigned to more than one committee. Committees usually have a specific issue that they focus on, such as education, transportation, or public health. During the hearing, the sponsor(s) will first present their bill to the committee and answer any questions. Then, the committee will call for public testimony. The public is allowed to attend to voice their support or concerns for the bill. However, only committee members are allowed to make amendments to the bill.

The committee can then recommend the bill (with or without amendments), postpone the bill indefinitely, hold the bill for another hearing, or refer the bill to another committee. If the committee passes the bill, it goes to the House or Senate floor, depending on which chamber introduced it. The bill is read to the entire House or Senate. The legislators can amend the bill (and vote on the amendment). Then they vote on the bill in its final form. When a bill is killed on the floor of either house, it is considered “Lost”. If the full chamber passes a bill, it takes a “third reading” vote as its final approval before sending it to the other house.

The bill is assigned to a committee

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee for a public hearing. Committees usually have a specific focus, such as education, transportation, or public health. They consist of a small group of legislators from both parties who are appointed by their party leadership. During the hearing, the bill's sponsor(s) will first present the bill to the committee and answer any questions. Then, the committee will call for public testimony. This is the only opportunity for the public to participate in the legislative process. Following this, the committee will consider any amendments to the bill and then vote on whether to pass the bill forward to the next step, refer it to another committee, or kill the bill.

If a bill is assigned to multiple committees, it will proceed from one to another each time it passes its committee vote until it has fulfilled each of its committee assignments. During the committee hearing on a bill, a member of the committee may offer an amendment, and if the sponsor is a member of the committee, they can offer an amendment. If the sponsor is not a committee member, they will need to ask a legislator who serves on the committee to offer amendments for them. After a hearing, for a bill to continue, it must be referred out of the committee favorably to another committee of reference, to the Appropriations Committee, or to the Committee of the Whole (COW).

The committee can vote to pass the bill, refer it, or kill it. If the committee passes the bill, it goes to the House or Senate floor, depending on which chamber introduced it. The bill is then read to the entire House or Senate, and legislators can amend it and vote on the bill in its final form. If the full chamber passes a bill, it takes a "third reading" vote as its final approval before being sent to the other house.

The committee reviews the bill

During the committee hearing on the bill, a member of the committee may offer an amendment to the bill, and if the prime sponsor is a member of the committee that's hearing the bill, they can offer an amendment. If the prime sponsor is not a committee member, they will need to ask a legislator who serves on the committee to offer amendments to the bill for them.

The committee will then vote to pass the bill, refer it to another committee, or kill the bill. If the committee votes to kill the bill, it is technically called "Postponing Indefinitely" or PI. If the committee passes the bill, it goes to the House or Senate floor, depending on which chamber introduced it.

The bill goes to the House or Senate floor

Once a bill has been introduced and assigned to a committee, it must pass through the committee phase before it can go to the House or Senate floor. This is a series of hearings and votes. The committee hearing is the only opportunity for the public to participate on the record in the legislative process. After the committee hearing, the bill will proceed to a vote of the full House or Senate.

The first vote in this stage is known as the "Second Reading". This is a "voice vote", during which legislators are asked to call out verbally if they support or oppose a bill. There is no objective decibel comparison or recorded vote during this stage of the process; the decision of which side yells louder is determined by the presiding majority party. If a bill passes this phase, it will then proceed to the "Third Reading", where legislators take a recorded vote to pass or fail the bill. If a bill passes with a majority vote, it passes the chamber.

When a bill is killed on the floor of either house, it is considered "Lost". If the full chamber passes a bill, it takes a Third Reading vote as its final approval before sending it to the other house. Or it can kill the bill on the third reading. If the first chamber passes a bill, the bill goes to the other house and the process repeats.

The bill is passed by both chambers

For a bill to pass both chambers of the Colorado Legislature, it must first be introduced in either the Senate or the House. A Senator or Representative introduces the bill as its sponsor, and other legislators may sign on as co-sponsors. The bill is then read in the House or Senate, given a number, and assigned to a committee or multiple committees.

The committee(s) will then review the bill in a hearing. During the hearing, supporters and opponents can testify for or against the bill, and citizens can attend the hearing and testify on the bill. Following the hearing, the committee will decide whether to amend the bill, vote on it as introduced, or kill the bill. If the committee passes the bill, it goes to the House or Senate floor, depending on which chamber introduced it.

The bill is then read to the entire House or Senate, and legislators can amend the bill and vote on the amendment. They will then vote on the bill in its final form. If the full chamber passes a bill, it takes a "third reading" vote as its final approval before sending it to the other house.

The process is repeated in the second house. If the second house amends the bill, one of three things may happen:

• The prime sponsor may recommend that their colleagues accept the second house amendments and repass the bill.
• The prime sponsor may recommend that their colleagues reject the second house amendments and adhere to the original version of the bill. If this motion passes, the bill is returned to the second house. If the second house also adheres to its position, the bill is deemed lost. On the other hand, the second house can adopt the original version of the bill, in which case it is sent to the Governor.
• The prime sponsor may recommend that their colleagues reject the second house amendments and request that a conference committee be formed. If a compromise is reached, both chambers vote on adopting the conference committee report and readopting the bill. If this happens in both houses, the bill is sent to the Governor for action.

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