Colorado Senate Bill 16-108 Summary

• State court administrator shall hire and employ full-time public administrators as state employees assigned to judicial districts, who cannot charge fees or collect additional compensation for their duties.

• Courts may still appoint private attorneys as public administrators for particular cases if parties prefer, with such attorneys able to charge reasonable fees for their services.

• Public administrators must be qualified electors at least 21 years old and residents of their assigned judicial district, and must take an oath acknowledging fiduciary duties and absence of conflicts of interest.

• Bill eliminates conflicts of interest, reduces probate costs, and increases access to public administrators by creating a state-funded system while preserving court discretion to use private counsel when preferred.

• Act takes effect 90 days after the 2016 legislative session ends, subject to referendum petition provisions.