Research Guides: Colorado Law and Legal Research: Legislative Research

Research Guides

Colorado Statutory Research
A research guide created by the University of Denver Law Library
Researching Colorado Resolutions and Memorials
This article explains the differences between these two types of legislation and how to locate them.
How to Search the Colorado Session Law Collection
A short video demonstrating how to locate a session law in the law library session laws digital collection, available at:
http://lawcollections.colorado.edu/colorado-session-laws/.

Statutes

Wise Law Library Session Laws

Publication of Colorado Statutes Over Time

Here is publication history of Colorado Statutes:

Revised Statutes of Colorado 1868 (territory), David C. Collier (Public Printer) ,

General Laws of Colorado 1877, Tribune Steam Printing House

General Statutes of Colorado 1883, Times Steam Printing & Publishing House

Revised Statutes of Colorado 1908, The Smith-Brooks Printing Company

Compiled Laws of Colorado 1921, The Smith-Brooks Printing Company

Colorado Statutes Annotated 1935, The Bradford-Robinson Printing Company

Colorado Revised Statutes 1953, Callaghan & Company (Chicago)

Colorado Revised Statutes 1963, Bradford-Robinson Printing Co.

Colorado Revised Statutes 1973, Bradford-Robinson Printing Co. (Last recodification of entire Colorado Revised Statutes set)

1977 was the last year Bradford-Robinson Printing Co. published the Colorado Revised Statutes

1981 The first year Bradford Publishing Co. published the Colorado Revised Statutes

Colorado Revised Statutes 1997, published by Bradford Publishing Co.

Colorado Revised Statutes are reprinted in full each year.

Colorado Revised Statutes 2002, the last year Bradford Publishing Co. publishes the Colorado Revised Statutes

Colorado Revised Statutes 2003+, LexisNexis takes over publishing and distributing the Colorado Revised Statutes

You may look at title pages of associated volumes at this link. (Materials are provided by the Office of Legislative Legal Services, Colorado General Assembly).

The Office of Legislative Legal Services can provide electronic copies of specified portions of the Colorado Revised Statutes from any year without charge (free!). Here is link to their web page, where you can fill out the request.

You can also request certified copies of portions of the Colorado Revised Statutes, by contacting Nate Carr, Asst. to the Revisor of Statutes, at nate.carr@coleg.gov.

General Assembly and Supporting Agencies

Colorado Legislative Council
Since 1953, the Legislative Council Staff has served as the nonpartisan research arm of the Colorado General Assembly. The staff serve under the Director of Research and provide support to legislative committees, respond to requests for research and constituent services, prepare fiscal notes, provide revenue projections, and perform other centralized legislative support services.
Office of Legislative Legal Services
The Office of Legislative Legal Services is the non-partisan, in-house counsel for the Colorado General Assembly and writes laws, produces statutes, reviews administrative rules, comments on initiated measures, and serves as a resource of legislative information for the public. The Office of Legislative Legal Services is under the direction of the Committee on Legal Services.
Office of the State Auditor
The OSA is a nonpartisan agency in Colorado's Legislative Branch. Our performance, financial, and IT audits provide the General Assembly, agencies, and the public with thorough, credible, and impartial assessments of the operation of state programs and the use of state and federal funds. Our audits provide solution-based recommendations that focus on reducing costs, increasing efficiency, promoting the achievement of legislative intent, improving effectiveness of programs and the quality of services, ensuring transparency in government, and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial and other information that decision makers need to hold government agencies accountable for the use of public resources.