Senate Joint Resolution 16-037 Summary

• Designates April 24, 2016, and April 24 of each year thereafter as "Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide" to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Turkish Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, in which 1.5 million Armenians were killed.

• Directs the General Assembly to pause deliberations for a formal memorial service at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, 2016, at the Armenian Garden on the State Capitol grounds, established in 1982.

• Acknowledges Colorado's historical role in Armenian relief efforts, including Governor Oliver Shoup's leadership of Near East Relief, which delivered $117 million in assistance and rescued more than one million refugees, including 132,000 orphans, between 1915 and 1930.

• Expresses support for constructive Armenian-Turkish relations based on acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide facts and its ongoing consequences, and calls for a fair and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.

• Requires distribution of the resolution to President Obama, members of Congress, Colorado's Governor, and various Armenian-American organizations and Armenian government institutions.