Article 12
ARTICLE XII
Officers
Section 1. When office expires suspension by law. Every person holding any civil office under the state or any municipality therein, shall, unless removed according to law, exercise the duties of such office until his successor is duly qualified; but this shall not apply to members of the general assembly, nor to members of any board or assembly, two or more of whom are elected at the same time. The general assembly may, by law, provide for suspending any officer in his functions pending impeachment or prosecution for misconduct in office.
Section 2. Personal attention required. No person shall hold any office or employment of trust or profit, under the laws of the state or any ordinance of any municipality therein, without devoting his personal attention to the duties of the same.
Section 3. Defaulting collector disqualified from office. No person who is now or hereafter may become a collector or receiver of public money, or the deputy or assistant of such collector or receiver, and who shall have become a defaulter in his office, shall be eligible to or assume the duties of any office of trust or profit in this state, under the laws thereof, or of any municipality therein, until he shall have accounted for and paid over all public money for which he may be accountable.
Section 4. Disqualifications from holding office of trust or profit. No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of public moneys, bribery, perjury, solicitation of bribery, or subornation of perjury, shall be eligible to the general assembly, or capable of holding any office of trust or profit in this state.
Section 5. Investigation of state and county treasurers. The district court of each county shall, at each term thereof, specially give in charge to the grand jury, if there be one, the laws regulating the accountability of the county treasurer, and shall appoint a committee of such grand jury, or of other reputable persons not exceeding five, to investigate the official accounts and affairs of the treasurer of such county, and report to the court the condition thereof. The judge of the district court may appoint a like committee in vacation at any time, but not oftener than once in every three months. The district court of the county wherein the seat of government may be shall have the like power to appoint committees to investigate the official accounts and affairs of the state treasurer and the auditor of state.
Section 6. Bribery of officers defined. Any civil officer or member of the general assembly who shall solicit, demand or receive, or consent to receive, directly or indirectly, for himself or for another, from any company, corporation or person, any money, office, appointment, employment, testimonial, reward, thing of value or enjoyment or of personal advantage or promise thereof, for his vote, official influence or action, or for withholding the same, or with an understanding that his official influence or action shall be in any way influenced thereby, or who shall solicit or demand any such money or advantage, matter or thing aforesaid for another, as the consideration of his vote, official influence or action, or for withholding the same, or shall give or withhold his vote, official influence or action, in consideration of the payment or promise of such money, advantage, matter or thing to another, shall be held guilty of bribery, or solicitation of bribery, as the case may be, within the meaning of this constitution, and shall incur the disabilities provided thereby for such offense, and such additional punishment as is or shall be prescribed by law.
Section 7. Bribery corrupt solicitation. (1) Any person who directly or indirectly offers, gives, or promises any money or thing of value or privilege to any member of the general assembly or to any other public officer in the executive or judicial department of the state government to influence him in the performance of any of his public or official powers or duties is guilty of bribery and subject to such punishment therefor as may be prescribed by law.
(2) The offense of corrupt solicitation of members of the general assembly or of public officers of the state or of any political subdivision thereof and any occupation or practice of solicitation of such members or officers to influence their official action shall be defined by law and shall be punished by fine, imprisonment, or both.
Repealed and reenacted, with amendments, November 5, 1974 Effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 20, 1974. (See Laws 1974, p. 452.)
Section 8. Oath of civil officers. Every civil officer, except members of the general assembly and such inferior officers as may be by law exempted, shall, before he enters upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to support the constitution of the United States and of the state of Colorado, and to faithfully perform the duties of the office upon which he shall be about to enter.
Section 9. Oaths where filed. Officers of the executive department and judges of the supreme and district courts, and district attorneys, shall file their oaths of office with the secretary of state; every other officer shall file his oath of office with the county clerk of the county wherein he shall have been elected.
Section 10. Refusal to qualify vacancy. If any person elected or appointed to any office shall refuse or neglect to qualify therein within the time prescribed by law, such office shall be deemed vacant.
Section 11. Elected public officers term salary vacancy. No law shall extend the term of any elected public officer after his election or appointment nor shall the salary of any elected public officer be increased or decreased during the term of office for which he was elected. The term of office of any officer elected to fill a vacancy shall terminate at the expiration of the term during which the vacancy occurred.
As amended November 5, 1974 Effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 20, 1974. (See Laws 1974, p. 453.)
Section 12. Duel disqualifies for office.
(Deleted by amendment.)
As amended November 6, 1990 Effective upon proclamation of the Governor, January 3, 1991. (For the text of this amendment and the votes cast thereon, see L. 90, p. 1861, and L. 91, p. 2032.)
Section 13. Personnel system of state merit system. (1) Appointments and promotions to offices and employments in the personnel system of the state shall be made according to merit and fitness, to be ascertained by competitive tests of competence without regard to race, creed, or color, or political affiliation.
(2) The personnel system of the state shall comprise all appointive public officers and employees of the state, except the following: Members of the public utilities commission, the industrial commission of Colorado, the state board of land commissioners, the Colorado tax commission, the state parole board, and the state personnel board; members of any board or commission serving without compensation except for per diem allowances provided by law and reimbursement of expenses; the employees in the offices of the governor and the lieutenant governor whose functions are confined to such offices and whose duties are concerned only with the administration thereof; appointees to fill vacancies in elective offices; one deputy of each elective officer other than the governor and lieutenant governor specified in section 1 of article IV of this constitution; officers otherwise specified in this constitution; faculty members of educational institutions and departments not reformatory or charitable in character, and such administrators thereof as may be exempt by law; students and inmates in state educational or other institutions employed therein; attorneys at law serving as assistant attorneys general; and members, officers, and employees of the legislative and judicial departments of the state, unless otherwise specifically provided in this constitution.
(3) Officers and employees within the judicial department, other than judges and justices, may be included within the personnel system of the state upon determination by the supreme court, sitting en banc, that such would be in the best interests of the state.
(4) Where authorized by law, any political subdivision of this state may contract with the state personnel board for personnel services.
(5) The person to be appointed to any position under the personnel system shall be one of the three persons ranking highest on the eligible list for such position, or such lesser number as qualify, as determined from competitive tests of competence, subject to limitations set forth in rules of the state personnel board applicable to multiple appointments from any such list.
(6) All appointees shall reside in the state, but applications need not be limited to residents of the state as to those positions found by the state personnel board to require special education or training or special professional or technical qualifications and which cannot be readily filled from among residents of this state.
(7) The head of each principal department shall be the appointing authority for the employees of his office and for heads of divisions, within the personnel system, ranking next below the head of such department. Heads of such divisions shall be the appointing authorities for all positions in the personnel system within their respective divisions. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to affect the supreme executive powers of the governor prescribed in section 2 of article IV of this constitution.
(8) Persons in the personnel system of the state shall hold their respective positions during efficient service or until reaching retirement age, as provided by law. They shall be graded and compensated according to standards of efficient service which shall be the same for all persons having like duties. A person certified to any class or position in the personnel system may be dismissed, suspended, or otherwise disciplined by the appointing authority upon written findings of failure to comply with standards of efficient service or competence, or for willful misconduct, willful failure or inability to perform his duties, or final conviction of a felony or any other offense which involves moral turpitude, or written charges thereof may be filed by any person with the appointing authority, which shall be promptly determined. Any action of the appointing authority taken under this subsection shall be subject to appeal to the state personnel board, with the right to be heard thereby in person or by counsel, or both.
(9) The state personnel director may authorize the temporary employment of persons, not to exceed six months, during which time an eligible list shall be provided for permanent positions. No other temporary or emergency employment shall be permitted under the personnel system.
(10) The state personnel board shall establish probationary periods for all persons initially appointed, but not to exceed twelve months for any class or position. After satisfactory completion of any such period, the person shall be certified to such class or position within the personnel system, but unsatisfactory performance shall be grounds for dismissal by the appointing authority during such period without right of appeal.
(11) Persons certified to classes and positions under the classified civil service of the state immediately prior to July 1, 1971, persons having served for six months or more as provisional or acting provisional employees in such positions immediately prior to such date, and all persons having served six months or more in positions not within the classified civil service immediately prior to such date but included in the personnel system by this section, shall be certified to comparable positions, and grades and classifications, under the personnel system, and shall not be subject to probationary periods of employment. All other persons in positions under the personnel system shall be subject to the provisions of this section concerning initial appointment on or after such date.
Repealed and reenacted, with amendments, November 3, 1970 Effective July 1, 1971. (See Laws 1969, p. 1252.)
Section 14. State personnel board state personnel director. (1) There is hereby created a state personnel board to consist of five members, three of whom shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, and two of whom shall be elected by persons certified to classes and positions in the state personnel system in the manner prescribed by law. Each member shall be appointed or elected for a term of five years, and may succeed himself, but of the members first selected, the members appointed by the governor shall serve for terms of one, two, and three years, respectively, and the members elected shall serve for terms of four and five years, respectively. Each member of the board shall be a qualified elector of the state, but shall not be otherwise an officer or employee of the state or of any state employee organization, and shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed by law.
(2) Any member of the board may be removed by the governor for willful misconduct in office, willful failure or inability to perform his duties, final conviction of a felony or of any other offense involving moral turpitude, or by reason of permanent disability interfering with the performance of his duties, which removal shall be subject to judicial review. Any vacancy in office shall be filled in the same manner as the selection of the person vacating the office, and for the unexpired term.
(3) The state personnel board shall adopt, and may from time to time amend or repeal, rules to implement the provisions of this section and sections 13 and 15 of this article, as amended, and laws enacted pursuant thereto, including but not limited to rules concerning standardization of positions, determination of grades of positions, standards of efficient and competent service, the conduct of competitive examinations of competence, grievance procedures, appeals from actions by appointing authorities, and conduct of hearings by hearing officers where authorized by law.
(4) There is hereby created the department of personnel, which shall be one of the principal departments of the executive department, the head of which shall be the state personnel director, who shall be appointed under qualifications established by law. The state personnel director shall be responsible for the administration of the personnel system of the state under this constitution and laws enacted pursuant thereto and the rules adopted thereunder by the state personnel board.
(5) Adequate appropriations shall be made to carry out the purposes of this section and section 13 of this article.
Repealed and reenacted, with amendments, November 3, 1970 Effective July 1, 1971. (See Laws 1969, p. 1254.)
Section 15. Veterans' preference. (1) (a) The passing grade on each competitive examination shall be the same for each candidate for appointment or employment in the personnel system of the state or in any comparable civil service or merit system of any agency or political subdivision of the state, including any municipality chartered or to be chartered under article XX of this constitution.
(b) Five points shall be added to the passing grade of each candidate on each such examination, except any promotional examination, who is separated under honorable conditions and who, other than for training purposes, (i) served in any branch of the armed forces of the United States during any period of any declared war or any undeclared war or other armed hostilities against an armed foreign enemy, or (ii) served on active duty in any such branch in any campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge is authorized.
(c) Ten points shall be added to the passing grade of any candidate of each such examination, except any promotional examination, who has so served, other than for training purposes, and who, because of disability incurred in the line of duty, is receiving monetary compensation or disability retired benefits by reason of public laws administered by the department of defense or the veterans administration, or any successor thereto.
(d) Five points shall be added to the passing grade of any candidate of each such examination, except any promotional examination, who is the surviving spouse of any person who was or would have been entitled to additional points under paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection (1) or of any person who died during such service or as a result of serviceconnected cause while on active duty in any such branch, other than for training purposes.
(e) No more than a total of ten points shall be added to the passing grade of any such candidate pursuant to this subsection (1).
(2) The certificate of the department of defense or of the veterans administration, or any successor thereto, shall be conclusive proof of service under honorable conditions or of disability or death incurred in the line of duty during such service.
(3) (a) When a reduction in the work force of the state or any such political subdivision thereof becomes necessary because of lack of work or curtailment of funds, employees not eligible for added points under subsection (1) of this section shall be separated before those so entitled who have the same or more service in the employment of the state or such political subdivision, counting both military service for which such points are added and such employment with the state or such political subdivision, as the case may be, from which the employee is to be separated.
(b) In the case of such a person eligible for added points who has completed twenty or more years of active military service, no military service shall be counted in determining length of service in respect to such retention rights. In the case of such a person who has completed less than twenty years of such military service, no more than ten years of service under subsection (1) (b) (i) and (ii) shall be counted in determining such length of service for such retention rights.
(4) The state personnel board and each comparable supervisory or administrative board of any such civil service or merit system of any agency of the state or any such political subdivision thereof, shall implement the provisions of this section to assure that all persons entitled to added points and preference in examinations and retention shall enjoy their full privileges and rights granted by this section.
(5) Any examination which is a promotional examination, but which is also open to persons other than employees for whom such appointment would be a promotion, shall be considered a promotional examination for the purposes of this section.
(6) Any other provision of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, no person shall be entitled to the addition of points under this section for more than one appointment or employment with the same jurisdiction, personnel system, civil service, or merit system.
(7) This section shall be in full force and effect on and after July 1, 1971, and shall grant veterans' preference to all persons who have served in the armed forces of the United States in any declared or undeclared war, conflict, engagement, expedition, or campaign for which a campaign badge has been authorized, and who meet the requirements of service or disability, or both, as provided in this section. This section shall apply to all public employment examinations, except promotional examinations, conducted on or after such date, and it shall be in all respects selfexecuting.
Adopted November 3, 1970 Effective July 1, 1971. (See L. 69, p. 1254.); (7) amended November 6, 1990 Effective upon proclamation of the Governor, January 3, 1991. (For the text of the amendment and the votes cast thereon, see L. 90, p. 1861, and L. 91, p. 2033.); as amended November 3, 1992 Effective upon proclamation of the Governor, January 14, 1993. For the text of the amendment and the votes cast thereon, see L. 92, p. 2319 and L. 93, p. 2159.)
