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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0466.01 Rebecca Bayetti x4348 HOUSE BILL 26-1084
House Committees Senate Committees
State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING VOTER TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS TO EXPAND101
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING OF INITIATED STATEWIDE102
BALLOT MEASURES , AND , IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,103
REQUIRING THE ABSTRACT OF THE FISCAL IMPACT104
STATEMENT FOR CERTAIN INITIATED STATEWIDE BALLOT105
MEASURES TO DESCRIBE THE MEASURE'S LIKELY EFFECT ON THE106
MAIN AREAS OF STATE EXPENDITURE.107
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 17, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 16, 2026
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 6, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 5, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Espenoza and Camacho, Boesenecker, Brown, Clifford, Duran, Garcia, Goldstein,
Hamrick, Jackson, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey , Mauro, McCluskie, McCormick, Nguyen,
Rutinel, Sirota, Smith, Stewart R., Story, Titone
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Weissman and Lindstedt, Benavidez, Coleman, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Kipp,
Roberts, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
The bill requires that certain language appear in the ballot title for
an initiated statewide measure that would increase state expenditures but
does not identify and provide for a sufficient source of revenue or
sufficient reductions in state spending for specific public services or
program areas to account for the increased expenditures (measure that
increases state expenditures). The ballot title for a measure that increases
state expenditures must include language identifying the 3 largest
program areas of state expenditures for which state expenditures will be
reduced if the measure passes, which must be in a format substantially
similar to the following language: "... will reduce state expenditures for
program areas that include (the 3 largest areas of program expenditure)
by an estimated (projected dollar figure of reduction to those areas in the
first full fiscal year that the measure will cause the reduction) ...". If the
ballot measure specifies the public services or programs that are to be
reduced, those public services or programs must be stated in the ballot
title.
The bill also requires the ballot information booklet entry for a
measure that increases state expenditures to include a description of the
measure's projected effect on the 3 largest areas of program expenditure
of the state and modifies existing statutory language to mirror this change.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 1-40-106, amend2
(3)(e) as follows:3
1-40-106. Title board - meetings - ballot title - initiative and4
referendum - definitions - rules.5
(3) (e) For measures that reduce state tax revenue through a tax6
change, the ballot title must begin "Shall there be a reduction to the7
(description of tax) by (the percentage by which the tax is reduced in the8
first full fiscal year that the measure reduces revenue) thereby reducing9
state revenue, which will LIKELY reduce funding for state expenditures10
that include but are not limited to (the three largest areas of program11
expenditure) by an estimated (projected dollar figure of revenue reduction12
to the state in the first full fiscal year that the measure reduces revenue)13
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in tax revenue...?". If the ballot measure specifies the public services or1
programs that are to be reduced by the tax change, those public services2
or programs must be stated in the ballot title. If the public services or3
programs identified in the measure are insufficient to account for the full4
dollar value of the tax change in the first full fiscal year that the measure5
reduces revenue, then the three largest areas of program expenditure must6
be stated in the bill title along with the public services or programs7
identified in the measure. The estimates reflected in the ballot title shall8
not be interpreted as restrictions of the state's budgeting process.9
10
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 1-40-124.5, amend11
(1)(b) introductory portion, (1)(b)(III)(L), and (1)(b)(IV); and add12
(1)(b)(V) as follows:13
1-40-124.5. Ballot information booklet.14
(1) (b) The director of research of the legislative council of the15
general assembly shall prepare a fiscal impact statement for every16
initiated or referred measure, taking into consideration fiscal impact17
information submitted by the office of state planning and budgeting, the18
department of local affairs or any other state agency, and any proponent19
or other interested person. The fiscal impact statement prepared for every20
measure shall MUST be substantially similar in form and content to the21
fiscal notes provided by the legislative council of the general assembly for22
legislative measures pursuant to section 2-2-322. A complete copy of the23
fiscal impact statement for such THE measure shall MUST be available24
through the legislative council of the general assembly. The ballot25
information booklet shall MUST indicate whether there is a fiscal impact26
for each initiated or referred measure and shall MUST abstract the fiscal27
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impact statement for such THE measure. The abstract for every measure1
shall MUST appear after the arguments for and against such THE measure2
in the analysis section of the ballot information booklet and shall MUST3
include, but shall IS not be limited to:4
(III) For any initiated or referred measure that modifies the state5
tax laws, if the measure would either increase or decrease individual6
income tax revenue or state sales tax revenue, a table that shows the7
number of tax filers in each income category, the total change in the8
amount of tax owed for each income category, and the average change in9
the amount of tax owed for each filer within each income category. If the10
change in the amount of tax owed shown in the table is an increase, the11
change must be expressed as a dollar amount preceded by a plus sign. If12
the change in the amount of tax owed shown in the table is a decrease, the13
change must be expressed as a dollar amount preceded by a negative sign.14
The table must use the following income categories:15
(L) Federal adjusted gross income greater than or equal to one16
million dollars; and17
(IV) If the measure contains a proposed tax change, as defined in18
section 1-40-106 (3)(i)(II), that reduces state tax revenue, a description of19
the MEASURE'S LIKELY EFFECT ON THE three largest areas of program20
expenditure, as defined in section 1-40-106 (3)(i)(I); AND21
(V) FOR AN INITIATED MEASURE THAT WILL RESULT IN INCREASED22
STATE EXPENDITURES , EXCEPT FOR DE MINIMIS AND ADMINISTRATIVE23
EXPENDITURES, AND THAT DOES NOT IDENTIFY AND PROVIDE FOR A24
SUFFICIENT SOURCE OF REVENUE OR SUFFICIENT REDUCTIONS IN STATE25
SPENDING TO ACCOUNT FOR THE INCREASED EXPENDITURES , A26
DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURE'S LIKELY EFFECT ON THE THREE LARGEST27
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AREAS OF PROGRAM EXPENDITURE , AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1-40-1061
(3)(i)(I).2
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date -3
applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following4
the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the5
general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13,6
2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 17
(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section,8
or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part9
will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election10
to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the11
date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.12
(2) This act applies to initiative petition drafts submitted to the13
secretary of state for title setting on or after the applicable effective date14
of this act.15
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