Colorado § 2-3-208 - Budget requests - base budget submissions - amendments - supplemental appropriation requests - deadlines - definitions.

§ 2-3-208. Budget requests - base budget submissions - amendments - supplemental appropriation requests - deadlines - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Base budget" means the total amount appropriated in the annual general appropriation act and other legislation enacted in the prior state fiscal year plus:

(I) Out-year costs or savings from legislation adopted in prior years that were not included in the appropriations for the preceding state fiscal year; and

(II) Budget adjustments from prior years that were not included in the appropriations for the preceding state fiscal year.

(b) "Budget request amendment" means any change to a budget request for the upcoming state fiscal year that a state agency submits to the joint budget committee.

(c) "State agency" means any department, commission, council, board, bureau, committee, institution of higher education, agency, or other governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government that receives an appropriation or is otherwise included in the annual general appropriation act.

(1.5) On or before September 1, 2026, and on or before each September 1 thereafter, a state agency shall submit its base budget for the upcoming state fiscal year to the joint budget committee and the office of state planning and budgeting in a format agreed upon by the state agencies and the office of state planning and budgeting in coordination with joint budget committee staff.

(2) (a) A state agency shall submit its budget request for the upcoming state fiscal year to the joint budget committee by November 1. Except as set forth in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2), the state agency shall submit any budget request amendments to the joint budget committee by January 15.

(b) (I) A state agency shall submit a budget request amendment that is related to a request for a supplemental appropriation to the joint budget committee by January 2; except that the January 2 deadline does not apply to a budget request amendment that is related to a request for a supplemental appropriation identified in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of this section.

(II) A state agency may submit a budget request amendment to the joint budget committee after its applicable deadline if the budget request amendment is based upon circumstances unknown to, and not reasonably foreseeable by, the state agency prior to the deadline.

(c) Any deadline in this subsection (2) is the date immediately preceding the state fiscal year that is the subject of the budget request or budget request amendment.

(3) (a) Except as set forth in paragraph (b) of this subsection (3), a state agency shall submit a request for a supplemental appropriation for the current state fiscal year to the joint budget committee by January 2.

(b) (I) The department of education shall submit a request for a supplemental appropriation pursuant to section 22-54-106 (4)(b) to the joint budget committee on or before January 15. The division of youth services in the department of human services shall submit a request for a supplemental appropriation related to changes in caseload to the joint budget committee on or before January 15. The department of corrections shall submit a request for a supplemental appropriation related to changes in caseload to the joint budget committee on or before January 10.

(II) A state agency may submit a request for a supplemental appropriation to the joint budget committee after its applicable deadline if the supplemental appropriation is based upon circumstances unknown to, and not reasonably foreseeable by, the state agency prior to the deadline.

(c) Any deadline in this subsection (3) is the date during the state fiscal year that the request for a supplemental appropriation is made.

(4) The office of state planning and budgeting may submit a request identified in this section to the joint budget committee on behalf of a state agency, and in such case, the corresponding deadline for the request applies to the office.

(5) A state agency or the office of state planning and budgeting acting on behalf of a state agency shall meet the deadlines and requirements set forth in section 24-37-304 (1)(c.3) and (1)(c.5) for a capital construction, capital renewal, controlled maintenance, or information technology budget request or budget request amendment, including a budget request amendment that is related to a request for a supplemental appropriation, prior to the submission of any such budget request to the joint budget committee pursuant to this section.

(6) For purposes of this section, the office of administrative services for independent agencies in the judicial department, created in section 13-100-103, is a state agency. Included agencies, as defined in section 13-100-102, are not state agencies for purposes of base budget submissions or budget request submissions.

Source: L. 2013: Entire section added, (HB 13-1179), ch. 123, p. 415, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2017: (3)(b)(I) amended, (HB 17-1329), ch. 381, p. 1968, § 12, effective June 6. L. 2018: (5) added, (HB 18-1371), ch. 312, p. 1875, § 2, effective August 8. L. 2024: (6) added, (SB 24-217), ch. 308, p. 2083, § 2, effective May 31; (3)(b)(I) amended, (HB 24-1385), ch. 90, p. 294, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2026: (1) and (6) amended and (1.5) added, (HB 26-1408), ch. 287, p. 1581, § 1, effective June 1.