Search Publications

This memorandum presents the 2025 Legislative Council Staff forecast for the state public institutions of higher education. The forecast provides projections of resident and nonresident full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment and College Opportunity Fund (COF) FTE enrollment for the current fiscal year (FY 2024-25) and budget year (FY 2025-26). The forecast also includes projected tuition revenue for FY 2024-25.

Each year, the General Assembly is tasked with balancing constitutional, statutory, and federal requirements with competing policy priorities, caseload pressures, and the health of the state’s economy in order to create a budget. This document is intended to serve as a primer on Colorado’s budget and some of the factors that help shape it.

The Supplemental Narrative is prepared by the staff to explain proposed adjustments to prior year appropriations recommended by the JBC to the rest of the General Assembly.  This narrative describes all of the proposed budget changes statewide, by department, and by program, and provides detailed calculations of the spending and revenue limits.  This explanation does not reflect any subsequent changes to the Supplemental Bills as they are amended by the Senate or House of Representatives.

This memo presents recent Legislative Council Staff (LCS) findings regarding the implications of the current-law calculation method for population growth used to determine the TABOR growth limit, which has the effect of not adjusting the TABOR limit for population growth or decline that the Census Bureau identifies in its revised estimates. The current population growth calculation method does not usually impact the TABOR limit.

This memorandum provides information on state government enterprises under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution, also known as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). From FY 1993-94 through FY 2023-24, over 30 state government entities had received enterprise status for at least one fiscal year. In FY 2022-23, the most recent year for which financial data are available, enterprise revenue totaled $23.3 billion.

This worksheet is provided to state agencies for responding to fiscal note information requests from Legislative Council Staff.

During the 2024 legislative session, the General Assembly passed several bills related to finance, the state budget, and taxes.

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2026-27. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

The State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent Government Act (SMART Act) was adopted in 2010 by House Bill 10-1119. This bill established a performance-based budgeting program.

2025 Fiscal Note Staff Assignments by Subject Area.

2025 Fiscal Note Staff Assignments by Subject Area.

Fiscal Note FAQ's

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2024-25. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

The Appropriations Report summarizes the final action of the General Assembly and the Governor on the budget and other legislation passed during the previous legislative session that contained an appropriation of moneys.

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2024-25. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

Fiscal Note Data Reports show the fiscal impact of all legislation currently pending before the General Assembly, based on the most recent published fiscal note.  Updated reports will be posted on this page approximately weekly during the legislative session.  After session, final data will be posted. 

The data reports are contained in an Excel spreadsheet with each report located on a separate tab.  Data in each report is in a sortable/filterable table.  Included reports include:

The purpose of this publication is to help readers understand how Colorado finances its public elementary and secondary schools.  The major focus is an explanation of the funding formula included in the Public School Finance Act of 1994, including amendments made to the act in 2019.  Several illustrations are provided to help readers calculate funding under the formula.  The booklet also describes several other provisions of law that relate to school district funding.  These provisions include a description of revenue that is earmarked for specific functions, other local

The Long Bill Narrative, which is the annual appropriations act, is prepared by staff to explain funding decisions recommended by the JBC to the rest of the General Assembly.  This document is a companion document to the actual Long Bill.  The narrative outlines budget changes based on the introduced version of the Long Bill.

This packet includes fiscal notes for bills introduced with the FY 2024-25 Long Bill, including HB 24-1385 through HB 24-1428. Fiscal notes for these bills are also be available individually on each bill page on the General Assembly website.

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2024-25. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

Colorado receives annual payments from tobacco manufacturers as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). In April 2023, the state received $93.1 million, which was used to determine distributions to MSA-funded programs for the current FY 2023-24.

The Supplemental Narrative is prepared by the staff to explain proposed adjustments to prior year appropriations recommended by the JBC to the rest of the General Assembly.  This narrative describes all of the proposed budget changes statewide, by department, and by program, and provides detailed calculations of the spending and revenue limits.  This explanation does not reflect any subsequent changes to the Supplemental Bills as they are amended by the Senate or House of Representatives.

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2023-24. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

This memorandum is intended for use by policymakers, legislative drafters, and budget analysts to understand the different funding mechanisms that may be used in legislation. It describes how different funding mechanisms in legislation impact the state budget and how they are shown in fiscal notes. These funding mechanisms include appropriations, transfers, diversions, and warrants on state funds, as well as fee revenue and gifts, grants, or donations. The memorandum concludes with a list of funding mechanisms for which voter approval is required.