Limitations on Bills Introduced by General Assembly Members

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED HOUSE BILL 26-1073 LLS NO. 26-0675.01 Stephanie Schrab x4330 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Weinberg, SENATE SPONSORSHIP (None), House Committees Senate Committees State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING A LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF BILLS THAT A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY INTRODUCE IN A REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

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.) Joint rule 24 (b)(1)(A) of the joint rules of the senate and house of representatives specifies that a member of the general assembly may not introduce more than 5 bills, with certain exceptions, in a regular legislative session. The bill creates a statutory limitation on the number of bills that a member of the general assembly may introduce. 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.

Specifically, the bill states that a member of the general assembly may not introduce more than 3 bills, with certain exceptions, in a regular legislative session. The bill also creates statutory limitations on the purpose for which a member of the general assembly may be allowed to introduce more than 3 bills at any time during a regular legislative session.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 2-2-328 as follows:

2-2-328. Limitations on introduction of bills by members of the general assembly.

(1) COMMENCING WITH THE FIRST REGULAR SESSION OF THE SEVENTY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND DURING EACH REGULAR SESSION THEREAFTER, A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY NOT INTRODUCE APPROPRIATIONS AND BILLS FROM AMONG THOSE RECOMMENDED BY COMMITTEES THAT MEET DURING THE INTERIM AND ARE CREATED BY STATUTE, BY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RESOLUTION, OR PURSUANT TO

SECTION 2-3-303.3. IN ADDITION TO ANY BILLS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL AS INTERIM COMMITTEE BILLS, THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES CREATED IN ARTICLE 3 OF THIS TITLE 2 AND THE COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE PERFORMING THE DUTIES REQUIRED IN SECTIONS 24-1-136 AND AUTHORITY, RECOMMEND ANY ADDITIONAL BILLS FOR INTRODUCTION DURING A LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SUCH ADDITIONAL BILLS SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE THREE-BILL LIMITATION SPECIFIED IN THIS SUBSECTION MORE THAN THREE BILLS, EXCLUDING BILLS FOR MAY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR STATUTORY

(2) NOTWITHSTANDING THE LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF BILLS THAT A LEGISLATOR MAY INTRODUCE DURING A REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, OR THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY ALLOW A LEGISLATOR IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CHAMBER TO INTRODUCE ONE OR MORE ADDITIONAL BILLS AT ANY TIME DURING THE REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION ONLY IF AT LEAST TWO OF SUCH SENATORS OR REPRESENTATIVES, AS APPLICABLE, DETERMINE THAT:

(a) THE BILL IS REQUESTED BY A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CREATED IN ARTICLE 3 OF THIS TITLE 2 IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS STATUTORY AUTHORITY OR REQUESTED BY THE COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE PERFORMING THE DUTIES REQUIRED IN SECTIONS 24-1-136 AND 24-34-104, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR STATUTORY AUTHORITY;

(b) THE REQUESTED BILL PERTAINS TO AN EMERGENCY MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEFORE THE NEXT REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION; OR

(c) THE REQUESTED BILL PERTAINS TO THE CORRECTION OF A TECHNICAL OR CLERICAL ERROR IN A BILL ALREADY PASSED DURING THE THEN CURRENT REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.