The Colorado law-making process is intended to be methodical and transparent. Some might consider it to move too slowly, but the pace is constitutionally structured so that the people of Colorado might clearly understand what laws are being proposed, by whom, where, when, how, and even why.
Article V of the Colorado Constitution defines the law-making authority of the General Assembly and places certain requirements and restrictions on it. When the state constitution requires or prohibits something in the legislative process, then the General Assembly must comply.
Article V, Section 22 requires that “Every bill shall be read by title when introduced, and at length on two different days in each house; provided, however, any reading at length may be dispensed with upon unanimous consent of the members present. All substantial amendments made thereto shall be printed for the use of the members before the final vote is taken on the bill, and no bill shall become law except by a vote of the majority of all members elected to each house taken on two separate days in each house, nor unless upon its final passage the vote be taken by ayes and noes and the names of those voting be entered on the journal.”
When a bill is Introduced in the Colorado House or Senate, the Reader will announce the Bill Number and the name of each prime sponsor of that bill, followed by the title of that bill. That First Reading fulfills the first requirement of Article V, Section 22. The presiding officer of that chamber will then announce to which committee of reference the bill has been referred for its constitutionally required public hearing. That process is called “First Reading.”
In Colorado, a bill might be routed to one, two or even three committees of reference in a given chamber. If a bill passes out of that committee process, then it is referred back to the chamber for Second Reading. Chamber staff then lists each such bill on the Second Reading Calendar of that chamber and does so in the order that those bills are received from the respective committee chairs.
When the members of that chamber are convened as the Committee of the Whole (“COW”) for the purposes of Second Reading, the chair will instruct the Reader to read the title of the next bill listed on the Second Reading Calendar. For the second time in that chamber, the Reader will announce the Bill Number and the name of each prime sponsor of that bill, followed by the title of that bill. That process is called “Second Reading.”
At that point, if all members present unanimously agree to dispense with the reading of that bill at length, then the bill would not read at length. However, lacking unanimous consent, meaning that one or more members do not agree, then the state constitution requires that the bill be read at length.
If a bill passes on Second Reading in that chamber, then it is listed on the Third Reading Calendar of that chamber. Note that the words “…on two separate days…” require that Third Reading for each bill take place at least one day after that bill passed on Second Reading in that chamber.
When a bill comes up for Third Reading, the presiding officer of that chamber will instruct the Reader to read the title of the next bill listed on the Third Reading Calendar. For the third time in that chamber, the Reader will announce the Bill Number and the name of each prime sponsor of that bill, followed by the title of that bill. That process is called “Third Reading.”
At that point, if all members present unanimously agree to dispense with the reading of that bill at length, then the bill would not read at length. However, lacking unanimous consent, meaning that one or more members do not agree, then the state constitution requires that the bill be read at length, possibly for a second time.
If a bill passes on Third Reading out its first chamber, meaning where it was originally introduced, then it moves to the second chamber under the same Bill Number. To clarify, in Colorado, House bills that pass out of the House then move to the Senate and continue in that chamber as House Bills. Senate bills that pass out of the Senate then move to the House and continue in that chamber as Senate bills.
When a bill is Introduced in its second chamber, the process of First, Second, and Third Reading is repeated. Bills are referred to at least one committee of reference in the second chamber and those bills must be considered during a public hearing.
Bills that pass out of the committee process in the second chamber are then referred by to that chamber for Second Reading, where they are considered in the order received from the respective committee chairs. The reading of bills at length is subject to the same condition of unanimous consent by member of that chamber.
Bills that pass on Second Reading in the second chamber are then considered on Third Reading at least one day later. The reading of bills at length is subject to the same condition of unanimous consent by members of that chamber and any given bill might be read at length on two occasions: Second and Third Reading in that chamber.
During the final two days of a 120-day Colorado general session, in order to become law, a bill must pass on Second Reading in the second chamber no later than midnight of the 119th day. Such a bill would then be eligible to be considered on Third Reading in that second chamber on the next day, which would be the 120th and final day of that session.