Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the Second House
LLS NO. 22-0431.01 Nicole Myers x4326
SENATE BILL 22-012
Senate Committees House Committees
State, Veterans, & Military Affairs State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
Appropriations Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING VERSIONS OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION .101
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
.)
The bill requires the secretary of state to create and maintain, or
cause to be created and maintained, updated physical and electronic
copies of the Colorado constitution. The secretary of state is required to
update the physical and electronic copies of the Colorado constitution
after each election at which the voters approve any amendment to the
constitution. The secretary of state is also required to maintain all
previous physical and electronic copies of the Colorado constitution
created pursuant to the bill.
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
May 5, 2022
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 14, 2022
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 11, 2022
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Donovan, Bridges, Gonzales, Priola, Winter
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hooton,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. The secretary of state may work with the state archivist to
determine the format of the physical version of the Colorado constitution
and to provide for the public display of and other educational
opportunities related to it. The bill authorizes the secretary of state to
solicit, accept, and expend bequests, gifts, grants, and donations to create
and maintain the physical version of the Colorado constitution.
The secretary of state is required to ensure that each electronic
version of the Colorado constitution is stored with the office of the
secretary of state and is available to the public in a searchable format. In
creating and maintaining the electronic versions of the Colorado
constitution, the secretary of state is required to ensure that the
constitution is easily accessible and user-friendly for the general
population.
The bill requires the state archivist to submit to the state capitol
building advisory committee and the capital development committee a
proposal for displaying the original Colorado constitution in the state
capitol building. The bill requires the state archivist to include certain
information in the proposal. The bill also gives state archives the
authority to solicit, accept, and expend bequests, gifts, grants, or
donations for the display.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
hereby finds and declares that:3
(a) Access to the Colorado constitution is a primary tool in our4
state's democracy. The Colorado constitution establishes the basic5
framework of the state's government and protects citizens' individual6
rights. Since 1910, it has provided Coloradans with the unique right to7
initiate laws, to hold referenda on laws enacted by the general assembly,8
and to amend the constitution.9
(b) With over one hundred fifty amendments in its history, the10
constitution has been shaped and reshaped as the needs of Coloradans11
have transformed. Its thirty-nine founding delegates, representing every12
district in the Colorado territory, created a "rights first" approach to their13
new constitution, declaring the rights of the citizens before specifying the14
012-2- structure of the government.1
(c) From its early days as a tri-lingual document to its current2
form, the constitution is an informative, challenging, and inspirational3
document that establishes the rights, duties, and responsibilities of the4
citizens of Colorado and establishes the structure of our state government;5
(d) From water to women's right to vote, the original Colorado6
constitution and its subsequent amendments illustrate our values and our7
process of determining who we are as Coloradans; and8
(e) A hundred years after America's constitution boldly asserted9
people to be endowed with natural rights in addition to the rights granted10
by law, the Colorado constitution reaffirmed this ideal by stating a bill of11
rights first. This and other foundational philosophies are made clear in the12
Colorado constitution.13
(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that the14
history contained in the Colorado constitution is an important asset and15
that the original constitution, as well as updated digital and hard copies16
of the constitution, should be easily and freely available to all people in17
the state.18
19
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-80-116 as20
follows:21
24-80-116. Display of original state constitution in state capitol22
- on-line display of state constitution - educational opportunities.23
(1) O
N OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 28, 2023,
THE STATE ARCHIVIST SHALL24
SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING ADVISORY25
COMMITTEE FOR THE CREATION OF A PERMANENT PUBLIC DISPLAY26
OF THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION INSIDE THE27
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-3- STATE CAPITOL BUILDING. THE PROPOSAL SHALL INCLUDE SUGGESTIONS1
FOR HOW AND WHERE THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE COLORADO2
CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE DISPLAYED AND STORED AND A PROPOSAL FOR3
THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION TO BE DISPLAYED4
IN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS OTHER THAN THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING .5
HISTORY COLORADO SHALL ADVISE AND CONSULT WITH THE STATE6
ARCHIVIST REGARDING THE CREATION ON AN APPROPRIATE DISPLAY THAT7
WILL SAFEGUARD THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION.8
T
HE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SHALL EVALUATE9
THE PROPOSAL AND CONSIDER WHETHER TO APPROVE THE PROPOSAL IN10
ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR PLACING OTHER11
DISPLAYS WITHIN THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING PURSUANT TO SECTION12
24-82-108 (3)(h). THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE13
SHALL ALSO EVALUATE THE PROPOSAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH BEST14
PRACTICES FOR DISPLAYING HISTORIC DOCUMENTS IN A MANNER THAT15
SAFEGUARDS THE DOCUMENTS AGAINST DETERIORATION. THE DISPLAY16
MAY INCLUDE OTHER OBJECTS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS RELATED TO17
THE ADOPTION AND HISTORY OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION . THE18
STATE ARCHIVIST SHALL COLLABORATE WITH HISTORY COLORADO TO19
ENSURE ADHERENCE TO THE BEST PRACTICES WHEN PRESENTING THE20
C
OLORADO CONSTITUTION IN THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
21
OF THE STATE CAPITOL AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS OTHER THAN THE22
STATE CAPITOL BUILDING.23
(2) THE STATE ARCHIVIST, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HISTORY24
COLORADO, SHALL CREATE AN ONLINE EXHIBITION OF THE COLORADO25
CONSTITUTION, INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO CURRENTLY IN26
EFFECT. THE EXHIBITION SHALL INCLUDE ASPECTS OF EDUCATIONAL27
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-4- OPPORTUNITIES AND HISTORY AND SHALL ENSURE THAT THE ELECTRONIC1
COPY OF EACH VERSION OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION CREATED2
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN A3
SEARCHABLE FORMAT THROUGH THE WEBSITE OF THE OFFICE OF THE4
STATE ARCHIVES AND HISTORY COLORADO. THE STATE ARCHIVIST MAY5
CONTRACT WITH AN ONLINE EXHIBIT DESIGN COMPANY TO DETERMINE THE6
BEST PRACTICES WHEN PRESENTING THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION IN AN7
EDUCATIONAL FORMAT THAT IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND USER -FRIENDLY8
FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION OF THE STATE . THE EXHIBIT DESIGN9
COMPANY MAY COORDINATE AS NECESSARY WITH THE STATE ARCHIVIST ,10
HISTORY COLORADO, THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE LEGAL SERVICES, THE11
SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, AND OTHER RELEVANT GOVERNMENT12
AGENCIES IN THE CREATION OF THE ONLINE EXHIBITION .13
(3) THE STATE ARCHIVIST, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HISTORY14
COLORADO, SHALL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE UPDATED15
PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE CONSTITUTION OR OTHER EDUCATIONAL16
OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO THE UPDATED PHYSICAL COPY OF THE17
C
OLORADO CONSTITUTION WITHIN STATE OFFICES . THE
STATE ARCHIVIST18
AND HISTORY COLORADO SHALL ENSURE THAT THE CONSTITUTION WILL19
BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND USER -FRIENDLY FOR THE GENERAL20
POPULATION OF THE STATE.21
(4) THE STATE ARCHIVES:22
(a) R
EMAINS THE LEGAL CUSTODIAN OF THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF23
THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTINUING24
PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF THE ORIGINAL DRAFT IN ACCOR DANCE25
WITH SECTION 24-80-106;26
(b) M
AY ALLOW THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE COLORADO27
012
-5- CONSTITUTION TO BE REMOVED PERIODICALLY FROM THE DISPLAY FOR1
RESTORATION PURPOSES OR TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR OCCASIONAL2
TEMPORARY MUSEUM OR OTHER APPROPRIATE SECURE DISPLAYS ; AND3
(c) M
AY SOLICIT, ACCEPT, AND EXPEND ANY BEQUESTS , GIFTS,4
GRANTS, OR DONATIONS OF ANY KIND FROM ANY PRIVATE SOURCE FOR THE5
PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION . NO APPROPRIATION SHALL BE6
MADE OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND OR ANY CASH FUND FOR EXPENDITURES7
INCURRED BY DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL OR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT8
OR AGENCY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION .9
SECTION 3.
Act subject to petition - effective date. This act10
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the11
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except12
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V13
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this14
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take15
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in16
November 2022 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the17
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.18
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