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February 1, 2024 HB 24-1118
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Fiscal Note
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 24-0459
Rep. Marshall; Joseph
Sen. Roberts; Gardner
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
February 1, 2024
House Judiciary
Clayton Mayfield | 303-866-5851
clayton.mayfield@coleg.gov
Bill Topic: AUTHORITY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL TO OPERATE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OFFICE
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☒ Local Government
☐ Statutory Public Entity
The bill clarifies the authority of the Attorney General to perform administrative
functions when operating a district attorney office. Starting in FY 2024-25, the bill may
minimally increase state and local workload on an ongoing basis.
Appropriation
Summary:
No appropriation is required.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Summary of Legislation
Under current law, the Attorney General may assume the operation of a district attorney office
when requested by the Governor. The bill clarifies that in such cases, the Attorney General also
has the authority to expend money, manage staff, and perform other administrative functions
essential for office operations. Additionally, the bill requires a hiring committee consisting of the
Attorney General, a representative from the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council, and the highest
ranking attorney or official in the office when the Attorney General hires staff during their
operation of an office.
Background
In FY 2022-23, the Governor appointed the Attorney General as the state’s prosecutor for cases
within the 12
th
(Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache County) and
22
nd
(Dolores and Montezuma Counties) Judicial Districts until new district attorneys were
appointed. The Special Prosecution Unit within the Department of Law (DOL) assumed
operations with no change in appropriations.
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February 1, 2024 HB 24-1118
State Expenditures
To the extent the Attorney General needs to hire additional personnel, workload to the
Department of Law will increase to establish a hiring committee. This workload is assumed to be
minimal. No change in appropriations is required.
Local Government
Similar to the state, to the extent hiring committees are established, district attorney staff
workload will increase to participate on the committee. The fiscal note assumes this workload to
be minimal.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect upon signature of the Governor, or upon becoming law without his
signature.
State and Local Government Contacts
District Attorneys Law
The revenue and expenditure impacts in this fiscal note represent changes from current law under the bill for each
fiscal year. For additional information about fiscal notes, please visit the General Assembly website.