Senate advances bill capping legislative cash fund; amendment to lower cap fails

The Colorado Senate advanced House Bill 13-32 on April 10, 2026, a measure that would cap the legislative department cash fund balance and transfer roughly $12 million to the general fund.

Sponsor remarks during second-reading consideration described the bill as “an attempt to limit how much fund balance remains there at the end of every session to keep it to no more than $8,000,000,” and the clerk’s reading of the committee report said the measure would place the fund under a cap and return about $12,000,000 to the general fund.

Senator Pellis offered Amendment L004 to reduce the proposed cap from $8 million to $5 million and to remove automatic inflation adjustments. “I feel like the $8,000,000 is too high,” Pellis said, urging colleagues to “cap it at $5,000,000 total” and remove the built-in increases. The amendment failed on the floor by voice vote (recorded outcome: amendment lost).

Senators who spoke in favor of the underlying bill described recent transparency measures and large historical balances in the cash fund; one supporter said the fund at one point approached $50 million and that the proposed transfer and cap were intended to bring the balance to a more reasonable level given competing budget pressures.

After debate the Senate adopted the committee report on HB13-32 and placed the bill on the calendar for third reading and final passage.

What’s next: HB13-32 was reported out of the committee of the whole and ordered for third reading; no final enactment occurred during this floor session.