HB26-1408 • 2026

Processes to Determine State Budget Requests

Budget Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Rep. K. Brown, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. B. Titone, Sen. M. Weissman
Last action: 2026-06-01
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Processes to Determine State Budget Requests

The act requires a state agency, defined as any department, commission, council, board, bureau, committee, institution of higher education, agency, or other governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government that receives an appropriation or is otherwise included in the annual general appropriation act, to submit a base budget for the upcoming state fiscal year to the joint budget committee and the office of state planning and budgeting (office) on or before September 1 of each year, beginning in 2026.

What This Bill Does

The act requires a state agency, defined as any department, commission, council, board, bureau, committee, institution of higher education, agency, or other governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government that receives an appropriation or is otherwise included in the annual general appropriation act, to submit a base budget for the upcoming state fiscal year to the joint budget committee and the office of state planning and budgeting (office) on or before September 1 of each year, beginning in 2026.
The act excludes specific independent agencies within the judicial department from this requirement.
For these excluded agencies, the office of administrative services for independent agencies must submit a single, consolidated base budget on their behalf.
A base budget is defined as the total amount appropriated in the annual general appropriation act and other legislation enacted in the prior state fiscal year plus: Out-year costs or savings from legislation adopted in prior years that were not included in the appropriations for the preceding state fiscal year; and Budget adjustments from prior years that were not included in the appropriations for the preceding state fiscal year.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: HB1408_L.001 Amendment No.

HB1408_L.001 Amendment No.
___________ HB26-1408 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE DeGraaf 1 Amend printed bill, page 3, line 13, strike "SUBMIT ITS BASE" and 2 substitute "SUBMIT: 3 (a) ITS BASE".
4 Page 3, strike line 18 and substitute "COMMITTEE STAFF; 5 (b) A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT ASSUMES A CURRENT-SERVICES 6 BASELINE, WHICH REFLECTS THE APPROPRIATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE 7 CONTINUATION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS PURSUANT TO CURRENT LAW AS 8 ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, CASELOAD GROWTH, AND OTHER NECESSARY 9 ADJUSTMENTS; 10 (c) A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT REFLECTS A FIVE PERCENT 11 REDUCTION IN THE STATE AGENCY'S BASE BUDGET; AND 12 (d) A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT REFLECTS ZERO-BASE BUDGETING 13 PRINCIPLES FOR EXISTING AND PROPOSED PROGRAMS, WHICH MUST 14 INCLUDE: 15 (I) A STATEMENT LISTING ANY OTHER STATE, FEDERAL, OR LOCAL 16 AGENCIES THAT ADMINISTER A SIMILAR OR COOPERATING PROGRAM AND 17 OUTLINING THE INTERACTION AMONG THE AGENCIES; 18 (II) A STATEMENT OF THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR AND THE 19 HISTORY AND QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM; 20 (III) A QUANTIFICATION OF THE NEED FOR THE PROGRAM; 21 (IV) A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE INTENDED TO 22 ACCOMPLISH EACH OBJECTIVE; 23 (V) INDICATORS OF QUANTIFIED MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS AND 24 PERFORMANCE EFFICIENCY OF THESE ACTIVITIES; 25 (VI) A RANKING OF THESE ACTIVITIES BY PRIORITY; 26 (VII) THE LEVEL OF EFFORT REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH EACH 27 ACTIVITY IN TERMS OF MONEY AND PERSONNEL; AND 28 (VIII) A STATEMENT DETAILING WHAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED 29 BY THE FUNDING OF THE ACTIVITY AT ANY LEVELS SPECIFIED BY THE JOINT 30 BUDGET COMMITTEE.".
31 Page 3, line 23, strike "SUBMISSIONS" and substitute "SUBMISSIONS, 32 OTHER BUDGET SUBMISSIONS REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION (1.5) OF THIS 33 SECTION,".

Bill History

2026-06-01 Governor
Governor Signed
2026-05-28 Governor
Sent to the Governor
2026-05-28 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-05-28 House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
2026-04-16 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-15 Senate
Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-14 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-13 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
2026-04-11 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-10 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-09 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-08 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-06 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-04-02 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

The act requires a state agency, defined as any department, commission, council, board, bureau, committee, institution of higher education, agency, or other governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government that receives an appropriation or is otherwise included in the annual general appropriation act, to submit a base budget for the upcoming state fiscal year to the joint budget committee and the office of state planning and budgeting (office) on or before September 1 of each year, beginning in 2026. The act excludes specific independent agencies within the judicial department from this requirement. For these excluded agencies, the office of administrative services for independent agencies must submit a single, consolidated base budget on their behalf. A base budget is defined as the total amount appropriated in the annual general appropriation act and other legislation enacted in the prior state fiscal year plus:
Out-year costs or savings from legislation adopted in prior years that were not included in the appropriations for the preceding state fiscal year; and
Budget adjustments from prior years that were not included in the appropriations for the preceding state fiscal year.
A state agency is required to submit its base budget using a format agreed upon by state agencies and the office, in coordination with joint budget committee staff.
The act also requires the director of the office, in collaboration with the executive director of the department of personnel, to provide information related to the office's calculations for common policies, as annually submitted in the governor's November 1 budget request, to the departments, institutions, and agencies of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of state government as soon as practicable prior to the submission of the November 1 budget request.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 26-1408
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Titone;
also SENATOR(S) Amabile and Bridges, Kirkmeyer, Weissman.
CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCESSES FOR THE DETERMINATION
OF BUDGET REQUESTS FOR THE UPCOMING STATE FISCAL YEAR.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 2-3-208, amend ( 1)
and (6); and add (1.5) as follows:
2-3-208. Budget requests - base budget submissions -
amendments - supplemental appropriation requests - deadlines -
definitions.
(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) "BASE BUDGET" MEANS THE TOTAL AMOUNT APPROPRIATED IN
THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT AND OTHER LEGISLATION
ENACTED IN THE PRIOR STATE FISCAL YEAR PLUS:
(I) OUT-YEAR COSTS OR SAVINGS FROM LEGISLATION ADOPTED IN
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
PRIOR YEARS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE
PRECEDING ST A TE FISCAL YEAR; AND
(II) BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS FROM PRIOR YEARS THAT WERE NOT
INCLUDED IN THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE PRECEDING STATE FISCAL YEAR.
W (b) "Budget request amendment" means any change to a budget
request for the upcoming state fiscal year that a state agency submits to the
joint budget committee.
th} (c) "State agency" means any department, commission, council,
board, bureau, committee, institution of higher education, agency, or other
governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state
government that receives an appropriation or is otherwise included in the
annual general appropriation act.
( 1.5) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, AND ON OR BEFORE EACH
SEPTEMBER 1 THEREAFTER, A STATE AGENCY SHALL SUBMIT ITS BASE
BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING STATE FISCAL YEAR TO THE JOINT BUDGET
COMMITTEE AND THE OFFICE OF STATE PLANNING AND BUDGETING IN A
FORMAT AGREED UPON BY THE ST A TE AGENCIES AND THE OFFICE OF ST A TE
PLANNING AND BUDGETING IN COORDINATION WITH JOINT BUDGET
COMMITTEE STAFF.
(6) For purposes of this section, the office of administrative services
for independent agencies in the judicial department, created in section
13-100-103, is a state agency. Included agencies, as defined in section
13-100-102, are not state agencies for purposes of BASE BUDGET
SUBMISSIONS OR budget request submissions.
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-100-104, amend ( 1)
as follows:
13-100-104. Budget requests and annual statewide compensation
adjustments.
(1) (a) THE OFFICE SHALL SUBMIT A SINGLE, CONSOLIDATED BASE
BUDGET, PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 2-3-208, THAT
INCLUDES THE BASE BUDGET INFORMATION FROM EACH INCLUDED AGENCY,
IF PROVIDED.
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1408
(b) The office shall submit a single, consolidated budget request,
pursuant to the requirements of section 2-3-208, that includes budget
request amendments from each included agency, if provided.
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-37-302, add (3)(c)
as follows:
24-37-302. Responsibilities of the office of state planning and
budgeting.
(3) ( C) AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE PRIOR TO THE SUBMISSION OF THE
NOVEMBER 1 BUDGET REQUEST, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF STATE
PLANNING AND BUDGETING, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL, SHALL PROVIDE
INFORMATION RELATED TO THE OFFICE'S CALCULATIONS FOR COMMON
POLICIES, AS ANNUALLY SUBMITTED IN THE GOVERNOR'S NOVEMBER 1
BUDGET REQUEST, TO THE DEPARTMENTS, INSTITUTIONS, AND AGENCIES OF
THE EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL, AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES OF ST A TE
GOVERNMENT.
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1408
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
institutions.
Jul~
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
v~~
Vanessa Reilly
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
James Rashad Coleman, Sr.
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
Esther van Mourik
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE
APPROVED 0 "" (Y\oV\ol.~ J\.AAfl-lc-+ Z::?2-<,p evt I\ ·.oc0W'
(Date and Time)
Jared
GOVE
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 26-1408
COLORADO