Did you know that any individual can testify before a legislative committee on a piece of legislation that is being considered? Our state lawmakers rely on the testimony provided by subject matter experts and everyday citizens to inform their votes. The future of Colorado's oil and natural gas industry depends on elected officials hearing your voice.

Role of a Committee
The Colorado State Constitution requires that every bill be heard on its merits. The purpose of a committee hearing is to gather information so that the committee can make an informed recommendation on a given bill or resolution. Public input is an important part of this process. As elected officials, committee members appreciate hearing the perspective of citizens and organizations on issues.

When a bill is introduced in either the Senate or the House, it is sent to a Committee of Reference comprised of 5 to 13 legislators for review and public comment. The committee determines if the proposal should go forward in the legislature. After the committee considers any proposed amendments, it may vote to favorably recommend the bill to the Committee of the Whole, refer the bill to another committee, or postpone the bill indefinitely.

Committee Schedules
When the legislature is in session, committees generally meet in regularly scheduled rooms at regularly scheduled times. However, they will occasionally meet in different rooms at varying times to accommodate a large audience or remote testimony. Monday mornings (typically 10:00 a.m. until noon) and Friday mornings (typically 9:00 a.m. until noon) are reserved for floor work. Committees with hearings in the morning meet from Upon Adjournment of floor work until noon. At the chair's discretion, morning committees may also meet from 7:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. Afternoon committees generally meet at 1:30 p.m. You can find information on bills and committee hearings at: leg.colorado.gov.

Committees meet in several spaces within the Capitol Complex: 

• The Senate Committee Room Hallway is located on the 3rd floor between the elevators.
• The House Committee Room Hallway is located on the basement level between the elevators.
• The Legislative Services Building (LSB) is located at 200 E. 14th Avenue, directly south of the Capitol. House Committees meet in LSB-A, which is located on the east side of the first floor of LSB; Senate Committees meet in LSB-B, which is located on the west side of the first floor of LSB.
• Room 271 in the Capitol Building is located between the elevators on the 2nd floor.
• The Old Supreme Court Chamber is at the north end of the 2nd floor of the Capitol Building.

Tracking a Bill
The full text of bills, resolutions, and memorials, and their history, votes, fiscal notes, and committee reports are available online. Bills are named according to the house where there were introduced and the year. For example, Senate Bill 16-001 is the name of the first bill introduced in the Senate during the 2016 Legislative Session. The chair of each committee determines when a bill will be heard.

Preparing to Testify
You can participate in the process by offering written testimony, or by testifying before the committee either remotely or in-person. (More details here.) When preparing your testimony, plan to present in two to three minutes and be prepared to summarize the main points in one minute if asked. If you have a personal experience related to the legislation, your story can provide valuable information for the legislators. It is a good idea to bring a copy of the bill with you to the hearing, and copies of your written testimony for the committee members, bill sponsors, and staff. If you are not sure how many copies to bring, 20 copies will be sufficient. Need to brush up on your facts? You can find COGA's fact sheets here.