(1) (a) (I) Commencing on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 1999, all members of the general assembly elected at the 1998 general election and thereafter through the 2016 general election, and members appointed to fill vacancies for unexpired terms of those members, shall receive as base compensation for their services the sum of thirty thousand dollars per annum, payable at the rate of two thousand five hundred dollars per month.
(II) This paragraph (a) is repealed, effective January 8, 2022.
(b) (I) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1)(b)(II) of this section, commencing on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2019, and the first day of each legislative session beginning in January each two years thereafter, all members of the general assembly whose terms commence on such day and members appointed to fill vacancies for unexpired terms of those members shall receive as an annual base compensation for their services an amount equal to twenty-five percent of the total annual salary paid as of such day to the judges of the county court in Class B counties, as defined in section 13-6-201. The base compensation shall be payable in twelve equal monthly amounts. The director of research of the legislative council appointed pursuant to section 2-3-304 (1) shall post the amount of the current annual base compensation payable to a member of the general assembly pursuant to this subsection (1)(b) on the website of the general assembly.
(II) For the period commencing on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2021, and ending on the day before the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2022, all members of the general assembly whose terms commence on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2021 shall receive as an annual base compensation for their services forty thousand two hundred forty-two dollars, which is the same amount as the annual base compensation for their services for members of the general assembly whose terms commenced on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2019.
(1.5) Repealed.
(2) The compensation for the services of the members of the general assembly shall be adjusted as follows:
If any member of the general assembly is absent for any purpose other than longterm illness approved by the president of the senate or the speaker of the house of representatives from two-thirds or more of the sessions of his or her respective house, two-thirds of the compensation allowed under this section shall be forfeited.
If any member of the general assembly is absent for any purpose other than longterm illness approved by the president of the senate or the speaker of the house of representatives, from one-third or more, but less than two-thirds, of the sessions of his or her respective house, one-third of the compensation allowed under this section shall be forfeited.
The presiding officer of each house shall certify the number of days for which eachmember of each respective house shall be compensated and the amount due each member or owing from each member within ten days after adjournment sine die. Such certification shall be submitted to the state controller.
For purposes of this subsection (2), "session" means any regular meeting of eitherhouse of the general assembly in its respective chamber to consider the passage of legislation and any meeting of all committees of either house. No other meetings shall be considered sessions.
(3) (a) When the general assembly is in recess for more than three days or is not in session, in addition to the base compensation specified in subsection (1) of this section, the following members of the general assembly shall be entitled to the further sum of ninety-nine dollars per day for necessary attendance at meetings or functions or to legislative matters as follows:
Any member who attends a meeting of the legislative council, committees establishedby the legislative council, interim committees authorized by law or by joint resolution of the two houses, or the committee on legal services;
(I.5) The chair of an interim committee authorized by law or by joint resolution, or the chair's designee, who attends a meeting of the legislative council, or the executive committee of the legislative council, at the request of the legislative council or the executive committee;
Any member of the joint budget committee or the legislative audit committee whoattends a meeting of the joint budget committee or legislative audit committee, or, with the approval of the chairperson, who attends a state function or a function at a state institution or state agency at which matters concerning the joint budget committee or the legislative audit committee are considered;
The president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senateand house majority and minority leaders for attendance to matters pertaining to the general assembly, whether such matters are at the capitol or elsewhere. In addition, the persons who have been chosen after a general election to serve as president, speaker, and majority and minority leaders for the next legislative biennium shall be entitled to the same compensation as is provided for current leaders under this subparagraph (III), so long as such new leaders are members of the current general assembly.
(A) Except as provided in sub-subparagraph (B) of this subparagraph (IV), any member of a committee of reference designated pursuant to section 2-3-1201 who attends a meeting of the committee of reference or who attends a meeting of the joint budget committee when it is considering matters for which the member's committee of reference has oversight responsibility, or, with the approval of the chairperson, who attends a state function or a function at a state institution or state agency at which matters concerning the committee are considered. The executive committee of the legislative council may establish guidelines for the payment of per diem to members of a committee of reference who attend meetings of the joint budget committee as allowed by this subparagraph (IV).
If a member of the current general assembly is appointed when the general assemblyis in recess for more than three days or is not in session to serve on a committee of reference for the next regular session of the general assembly, such member shall thereafter only be entitled to compensation pursuant to this subparagraph (IV) as a member of a committee of reference upon which the member has been appointed to serve during the next regular session of the general assembly and shall not be entitled to compensation pursuant to this subparagraph (IV) as a member of a committee of reference upon which the member served during the most recently completed regular session of the general assembly but upon which the member is not appointed to serve during the next regular session of the general assembly.
For purposes of this subparagraph (IV), "member" includes an appointee to a committee of reference designated by the appointing authority as provided by the applicable rules of the house of representatives and senate respectively prior to the convening of the general assembly at which such member is to serve, whether such appointee is a member of the then current general assembly or member-elect of the next general assembly, or both.
(V) With the prior approval of the executive committee of the legislative council, any member of a committee of reference who attends a meeting of the committee of reference when it is considering matters for which the committee of reference has oversight responsibility.
Any member of the general assembly who is entitled to compensation pursuant toparagraph (a) of this subsection (3) shall also be entitled to reimbursement for all actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses to be paid after such expenses are incurred. Mileage rates shall not exceed those authorized for the executive department.
The requirements of subsections (2) and (4) of this section are applicable to all claims for compensation and reimbursement under this section.
(4) (a) Prior to incurring any expenses for which reimbursement may be claimed, other than those incurred under subsection (3) of this section, a member of the house of representatives shall obtain the approval of the speaker of the house of representatives and a senator shall obtain the approval of the majority leader of the senate. Vouchers for the payment of such expenses of members of the house of representatives shall be approved by the speaker of the house of representatives, and vouchers for the payment of such expenses of senators shall be approved by the majority leader of the senate.
The director of research of the legislative council shall approve payroll vouchers andvouchers for per diem payments incurred in connection with attendance by members of both houses at meetings of the statutory committees listed under article 3 of this title, a committee of any such agency, any interim committee authorized by law, by joint resolution, or by resolution of either house, or any committee of reference described in subparagraph (V) of paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section.
Prior approval of expenses incurred by members of any legislative committee createdby law in connection with the activities of any national or regional organization in which Colorado officially participates shall be obtained from the chairperson of the appropriate committee.
(5) (a) Members of the general assembly shall be entitled to reimbursement for all actual and necessary travel expenses incurred for vehicle travel while attending to legislative business, which expenses are not otherwise paid or reimbursed under any other provision of this part 3. Mileage rates shall not exceed those authorized for the executive department.
With the approval of the executive committee of the legislative council, members ofthe general assembly shall be entitled to reimbursement for all actual and necessary expenses incurred due to extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances related to the legislative business of the member.
The executive committee of the legislative council may establish guidelines regarding reimbursements and substantiation requirements for actual and necessary travel expenses incurred by members of the general assembly.
Source: L. 53: p. 293, § 3. CRS 53: § 63-2-7. L. 55: p. 423, § 1. L. 58: p. 237, § 3. L. 62: pp. 168, 169, §§ 1-3. C.R.S. 1963: § 63-2-7. L. 64: p. 476, § 1. L. 65: p. 684, § 3. L. 67: p. 600, §§ 1, 2. L. 69: p. 459, § 1. L. 70: p. 190, § 2. L. 73: p. 668, §§ 1, 2. L. 75: (5)(b) and (5)(c) amended, p. 196, § 1, effective June 20. L. 76: (1) and (2) repealed, p. 593, § 5, effective July 1; (6) amended and (8) to (11) added, p. 589, § 1, effective July 1. L. 80: (12) added, p. 578, § 7, effective July 1. L. 81: (9)(a) to (9)(c) amended, p. 327, § 1, effective June 5. L. 82: IP(9) amended, p. 618, § 2, effective April 2. L. 84: (9)(a) to (9)(c) and IP(12)(a) amended and (13) added, p. 280, § 1, effective May 9. L. 89: (4) to (6), (8), and (12) repealed and (9) amended, pp. 331, 330, §§ 3, 1, effective June 10. L. 93: Entire section R&RE, p. 566, § 1, effective April 30. L. 96: (3)(a) amended, p. 791, § 1, effective May 23. L. 97: (1) amended, p. 1176, § 1, effective May 28. L. 98: (1) amended and (1.5) added, p. 815, §§ 3, 4, effective August 5. L. 99:
(3)(a)(IV) amended, p. 1437, § 1, effective March 15; (3)(a)(III) amended, p. 408, § 1, effective August 4. L. 2000: (3)(a)(I.5) added, p. 2049, § 1, effective April 19. L. 2001: (3)(a)(IV) amended, p. 1102, § 1, effective August 15. L. 2006: (5) amended, p. 1348, § 1, effective May 31. L. 2007: (3)(a)(V) added and (4)(b) and (5) amended, pp. 1314, 1315, §§ 2, 3, 4, effective May 25. L. 2010: (5)(c) added, (SB 10-119), ch. 103, p. 348, § 1, effective April 15. L. 2015: (1) amended, (SB 15-288), ch. 270, p. 1059, § 2, effective January 1, 2016. L. 2016: (1)(a) amended, (SB 16-189), ch. 210, p. 754, § 7, effective June 6. L. 2020: (1)(b) amended, (HB 201423), ch. 233, p. 1128, § 1, effective July 2.
Editor's note: Subsection (1.5)(b)(II) provided for the repeal of subsection (1.5), effective January 15, 2001. (See L. 98, p. 815.)
Cross references: For compensation of members of the general assembly, see § 6 of art.
V, Colo. Const.; for mileage allowance for state officers, see § 24-9-104.