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Colorado Law and Legal Research

Colorado legal resources and guides

Colorado Legislative and Statutory Research

The Colorado legislative department is called the General Assembly, consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually.

The legislative branch makes laws in the form of statutes. Statutes are first published in the form of session laws and are eventually compiled into the Colorado Revised Statutes. The legislature also produces bills, reports, and other materials during their law-making processes. This page covers researching Colorado statutory law.

Using the Print Codes

How can you search the CRS in print?

  1. A Citation. The easiest way to find a code is to have the citation. The Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS) is organized by title, article and section number. If you have a CRS citation like 18-5.5-101, you will go to Title 18 (Criminal Code), then Article 5.5 (Computer Crime), and then the section 101 (Definitions).
  2. The multivolume general index. First, develop a list of keywords describing what you are researching. Then, search the index.
  3. Consult the table of Short Titles and Popular names at the end of the CRS. An act may have a popular name or a shortened name. This table provides those names and indicates where in the CRS to find them.

Using the Online Codes

The researcher can find the Colorado statutes in three locations online:

How to Read a Statute

Once you have found a code section, use the accompanying notes to assist with further research.

  1. Read the source note, which provides information about the history of the statutory language as well as when the statute was enacted or amended. The source note will also help you locate the current or previous language.
  2. Read the annotations. The CRS annotations reference commentaries, judicial decisions, law journals, and legal encyclopedias. Of particular use are the court decisions mentioned.

Colorado Statutory Code Compilations

The Colorado Revised Statutes is the current version of Colorado's official statutes. It was first published in 1973, and subsequent editions use that numbering scheme. However, Colorado has had eight (8) previous official codes. They are included below, with their citation.

Colorado Statutory Compilations
Revised Statutes of Colorado (1868) R.S. p.___, § ___.
General Laws of Colorado (1877) G.L § _____.
Revised Statutes of Colorado (1908) R.S. 08: § ___.
Compiled Laws of Colorado (1908) C.L. § ____.
Colorado Statutes Annotated (1935) CSA: C. ____, § ____.
Colorado Revised Statutes (1953) CRS 53: § ____.
Colorado Revised Statutes (1963) C.R.S. 1693: § ____.
Colorado Revised Statutes (1973) C.R.S.

 

Steps to Researching CO Legislative History

  1. Identify relevant section(s) of the Code and review its annotations in the CRS or Colorado Revised Statutes Annotated.
  2. Identify the session law in the source note. Make note of the year, page number, and title if possible.
  3. Locate and read the session law, in the print session laws or online.
  4. Locate the bill number in the session law.
  5. Find the various versions of the bill. You'll likely find them at the General Assembly's website, or need to go to a library to use their print collections.
  6. Consult the table of History of House Bills in the House and Senate Journals, online or in print.
  7. Compare the bill versions with any amended language found in the House and Senate Journals.
  8. Review any committee hearings and floor debates, if the legislation was enacted after 1972. Note the bill number and dates of action. (You can find this information on either the Joint Legislative Library or at the State Archive.)
  9. Consult any additional sources as needed, such as law journals or The Colorado Lawyer, Legislative Council reports, or news reports.