HB 16-1244 Summary

• Amends the fiscal year 2015-16 appropriation to the Colorado Department of Law by modifying Part X of SB 15-234, increasing total appropriations to $77,349,568 from the original $77,257,689.

• Allocates funding across six major divisions: Administration ($17,735,381), Legal Services to State Agencies ($31,710,423), Criminal Justice and Appellate ($16,407,802), Water and Natural Resources ($2,120,141), Consumer Protection ($4,769,937), and Special Purpose ($4,605,884).

• Establishes hourly billing rate caps for legal services to state agencies at $97.95 per hour for attorneys and $78.85 per hour for legal assistants, with a blended rate not to exceed $95.01 per hour.

• Authorizes the Department of Law to use Litigation Management funds to address unanticipated state legal needs during FY 2015-16 without requiring additional FTE allocations or funding salary increases, promotions, or reclassifications.

• Designates funding sources including General Fund, General Fund Exempt, Cash Funds, Reappropriated Funds, and Federal Funds, with specific allocations for specialized accounts such as the Safe2Tell Cash Fund, P.O.S.T. Board Cash Fund, and Tobacco Litigation Settlement Cash Fund.