ColoradoColorado law classifies revenue and funds victim compensation administration
Colorado law excludes specified aviation revenue, FBI check fees, and crime victim payments from state spending totals, and requires separate state funding for victim fund administration beginning in fiscal year 2026.
What it does
Qualifying aviation revenue distributed to public-use airport entities and the FBI’s share of criminal history check fees count as money collected for another government in state spending-limit calculations.
The definition of damage awards includes certain public health and labor penalties and specified crime victim fund deposits, including related court fees, damages, and restitution.
Starting in fiscal year 2026, victim compensation funds must go only to victims; the state must separately fund set administrative amounts for district attorneys and court executives.
Argument forCounting qualifying airport revenue and the FBI’s share of check fees as money collected for others could keep those pass-through amounts out of state spending-limit totals.
Argument againstSeparate state appropriations for fund administration could add pressure to the general fund, which also provides $2.25 million for victim compensation administration in 2026–27.
More detail
The law counts specified aviation revenue and the FBI’s share of criminal history check fees as collections for another government in state spending-limit calculations. The rules cover specified state taxes on aviation fuel and fees for criminal history checks. Aviation revenue must be credited to the Aviation Fund and distributed to government or airport entities operating FAA-designated public-use airports. Only fee revenue sent to the FBI for the required federal part of a criminal history check is covered. These categories apply to state fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025.
The law includes specified penalties and crime victim compensation fund deposits in the definition of damage awards. The definition covers listed public health and labor penalties, plus specified money deposited in each judicial district’s crime victim compensation fund. Crime-related damages and restitution are covered only when tied to a compensable crime for which the victim received approval for compensation, and only up to that compensation amount. The listed public health and labor penalties apply to state fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2024. The crime victim fund deposits apply to fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025.
For each district, the law requires crime victim compensation funds to pay only for victims’ compensation and requires separate state appropriations for administration. These rules apply to crime victim compensation funds and administrative costs in each judicial district. The state must appropriate an amount equal to 20% of each district’s fund for the district attorney’s administrative costs and 2.5% for the court executive’s costs. For fiscal year 2026–27, $2.25 million from the general fund is appropriated to state courts administration for Victims’ Compensation Administration. The fund-use and administrative appropriation rules apply to state fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2026. The separate $2.25 million appropriation is for fiscal year 2026–27.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 29Governor Jared Polis SignedBecame Law
- May 22Signed by the President of the SenateMajor
- May 22Signed by the Speaker of the HouseMajor
- May 22Sent to the GovernorTo Governor
- May 13Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- Vote recorded CONCUR. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded REPASS. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded CONCUR. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded REPASS. Result: pass.Upper
- May 9House Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsPassed House
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Lower
- May 8House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the WholeMinor
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-042, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment J.002. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded AMD (H.001). Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.014. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-042, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Lower
- May 8House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- Apr 27House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-042, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-042, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.008 (Attachment B). Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22Senate Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsPassed Senate
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 22Introduced In House - Assigned to FinanceMinor
- Apr 21Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the WholeMinor
- Vote recorded Refer Senate Bill 26-042, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.004. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment J.001. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 21Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- Feb 10Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment C). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 27Introduced In Senate - Assigned to FinanceIntroduced
Taxes & BudgetCriminal JusticeTransportation