Colorado § 2-2-2504 - Membership - selection - terms - repeal.

§ 2-2-2504. Membership - selection - terms - repeal.

(1) The council consists of the following members:

(a) Four nonvoting legislative members, two of whom are members of the senate and two of whom are members of the house of representatives;

(b) Forty voting nonlegislative members, all of whom must be incarcerated in a correctional facility or private contract prison at the time of their appointment and for the duration of their term. The nonlegislative membership described in this subsection (1)(b) must:

(I) Include people who are incarcerated in men's correctional facilities or private contract prisons and people who are incarcerated in women's correctional facilities or private contract prisons;

(II) Include people who are incarcerated in different levels of security at correctional facilities or private contract prisons; and

(III) To the extent practicable, reflect the demographic diversity of the state; and

(c) The executive director of the department of corrections, or the executive director's designee.

(2) (a) Legislative members of the council are appointed as follows:

(I) On or before December 31, 2025, and on or before December 31 every two years thereafter, the president and minority leader of the senate shall each appoint one member from the senate; and

(II) On or before December 31, 2025, and on or before December 31 every two years thereafter, the speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives shall each appoint one member from the house of representatives.

(b) Nonlegislative members of the council are appointed as follows:

(I) (A) On or before September 15, 2025, the designated organization shall collaborate with the department of corrections to adopt an application process for interested and eligible people to apply for appointment to the council, including the content and availability of the application form, selection criteria, and an application review process.

(B) On or before October 1, 2025, a person who meets the eligibility criteria set forth in this section may apply to the designated organization for appointment to the council. On or before December 31, 2025, the designated organization shall appoint nonlegislative members to the council.

(C) This subsection (2)(b)(I) is repealed, effective July 1, 2027.

(II) (A) On or before April 1, 2026, the council shall collaborate with the department of corrections to adopt a policy concerning council terms, including term duration; term limits, if any; and removal proceedings. By October 1, 2026, the council shall appoint council membership pursuant to the policy. The council may amend the policy.

(B) The council shall collaborate with the department of corrections to adopt an application process for interested and eligible people to apply for appointment to the council, including the content and availability of the application form, selection criteria, and an application review process.

(C) The council shall collaborate with the department of corrections to develop a policy and process for sharing information necessary for the purposes of this part 25.

(III) (A) Subject to available appropriations, legislative members of the council must be compensated for council meeting attendance in the same manner as provided in section 2-2-307 for legislative members attending meetings during the legislative interim. All expenditures incurred by the council must be approved by the chair of the executive committee of the legislative council and paid for by vouchers and warrants drawn as provided by law from money allocated to the legislative council for legislative committees from appropriations made by the general assembly.

(B) Nonlegislative members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses directly relating to their service on the council.

(3) (a) If a vacancy of a legislative member occurs, the appointing authority of the vacated seat shall promptly appoint a new member to complete the term.

(b) The council shall adopt, and may amend, a vacancy policy. If a vacancy of a nonlegislative member occurs, the seat must be appointed pursuant to the vacancy policy.

(4) The council shall adopt, and may amend, written bylaws setting forth a leadership structure. The council shall appoint members to serve in any leadership roles as described in its bylaws.

Source: L. 2025: Entire part added, (SB 25-155), ch. 217, p. 996, § 1, effective May 20.