HB 24-1190 Summary

• Amends the fiscal year 2023-24 budget for the Colorado Department of Law, increasing total appropriations to $131,177,724 from the General Assembly's 2023 appropriation act.

• Allocates funding across six major departmental sections: Administration ($37,301,401), Legal Services to State Agencies ($54,252,639), Criminal Justice and Appellate ($21,390,212), Water and Natural Resources ($3,257,234), Consumer Protection ($9,335,634), and Special Purpose ($5,640,604).

• Establishes hourly billing rate caps for Department of Law legal services: $133.30 per hour maximum for attorneys and $97.72 per hour maximum for legal assistants, equating to a blended legal rate of $128.02 per hour.

• Specifies funding sources including General Fund, cash funds (from specialized accounts like the Safe2Tell Fund and Marijuana Tax Cash Fund), reappropriated funds, and federal funds including the Medicaid Fraud Control Program.

• Includes a safety clause declaring the act necessary for immediate preservation of public peace, health, and safety and for support and maintenance of state departments and institutions.