CCJRC 2025 Legislative Update
April 18, 2025
Dear Michael
Hi everyone!
We have fewer than 19 days left in the legislative session, which means there's still a lot of work to do before the drop-dead date on May 7th. Anything not completed by then will die on the calendar, and all efforts will have to restart next year.
All of our priority bills are making their way through the legislative process. The Colorado Voting Rights Act is moving quickly through the second chamber and could be debated on the House floor as early as next Wednesday. The Prison Utilization bill is scheduled for debate in the House on Monday and will hopefully move to the Senate shortly after. Our Special Needs Parole bill is also up for its first hearing in the House after having passed the Senate. It hasn’t been without drama, but we’ll fill you in on the sideshow stuff in our legislative wrap up.
While things are moving fast, we still have a ways to go before these bills land on the Governor’s desk. We'll be sure to reach out if we need community support on any of these bills—your voices make a big difference!
We also want to amplify the need for people to contact the Governor’s office to urge his signature on HB25-1147 Fairness & Transparency in Municipal Court. There is concern that he will veto due to pressure from local government. We want to thank Colorado Freedom Fund for their leadership on this bill. You can find out more on how you can help here. The Denver Post also published an editorial in support of HB25-1147this week. Here’s what's coming up this week as well as a couple new bills that were just introduced:
Bills Coming Up in Committee
(Scroll down for detailed bill summaries)
Mon 04/21 @ 1:30p Senate Judiciary Committee (Old Supreme Court)
Tues 04/22 @ 8:00am House Appropriations, Old State Library
Tues 04/22 @ 1:30p House Judiciary Committee (HCR 0107)
Tues 04/22 @ 2:00pm Senate State, Veteran & Military Affairs (SCR 352)
CCJRC Priority Bills
Sponsors: Senator Julie Gonzales (D), and Reps Jennifer Bacon (D) and Junie Joseph (D)
CCJRC Position: PRIORITY Support
Status: Passed Senate 3/31 22-12-1, Passed State Civic, Military, & Veteran Affairs 04/14, Scheduled for Appropriations 04/22.
Bill Summary: With voting rights under attack at the federal level, Colorado is taking action by introducing the Colorado Voting Rights Act (COVRA) as SB-001 to strengthen protections against discrimination and ensure fair representation. CCJRC, alongside Colorado Common Cause and a coalition of 30+ groups, is advocating for COVRA. You can learn more about COVRA by checking out the fact sheet.
Sponsors: Rep. Chad Clifford (D) Sen. Julie Gonzales (D)
CCJRC Position: PRIORITY Support
Status: Passed House Judiciary Committee 03/26, Passed House Finance 04/07, Scheduled for House Floor Work 04/21.
Bill Summary: HB25-1214 adjusts several processes by Courts, the Department of Corrections, and the Parole Board to foster better utilization of prison beds.
Sponsors: Sen. Matt Ball (D) Rep. Jennifer Bacon (D) Rep. Matt Soper (R)
Status: Passed the Senate 04/01 23-12, Introduced in the House 04/01, Scheduled for House Judiciary 04/22 @1:30pm in HCR 0107
Position: Priority Support
Bill Summary:
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establishes a single definition of “serious impairment that limits a person’s ability to function” that is more objective and aligns with medical diagnosis. Eliminates the higher medical standard to be eligible for special needs parole if someone is 55 years old or younger.
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requires that an individual under 55 years of age serve a meaningful portion of his or her sentence (25% of the sentence or 10 years whichever is shorter) before becoming eligible.
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Authorizes the doctors who are most familiar with their patients’ condition to determine medical eligibility, including doctors outside of DOC.
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Makes other needed technical corrections.
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Directs Legislative Council to conduct a study, with stakeholder input, on placement options outside of DOC that already exist and gaps for elders and those approved for special needs parole.
Other Bills of Interest to CCJRC
House Bills
HB25-1013: Department of Corrections Visitation Rights
Sponsors: Representative Regina English (D), Representative Jennifer Bacon (D), Senate President James Coleman (D)
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Passed House on Third Reading 44-21-0, Introduced in the Senate 04/01 assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs 04/22 @ 2:00PM in SCR 352 for Amendments and vote.
Bill Summary: HB25-1013 establishes visitation as a fundamental right for individuals confined in prisons in Colorado. While the Department of Corrections may create rules to manage social visitation, the rules must not impose restrictions beyond what is necessary for ensuring the safety of the facility and the public. Visitation is crucial for maintaining the human dignity of incarcerated individuals, fostering family and community connections, and aiding in successful rehabilitation and reintegration into society. One of the key factors in reducing recidivism is allowing folks to maintain their connections to community, this bill ensures that these benefits are protected.
Sponsors: Reps. Michael Carter (D) and Lorena García (D)
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Passed House 04/16 43-22, Waiting to be introduced in the Senate
Bill Summary: DOC currently charges copays for most medical appointments inside of the Department of Corrections, what was seen to supplement the cost of medical care for folks inside, has ended up costing the state more in and administering the fees than what was taken in. HB-1026 would eliminate copays to inmates on medical care, mental health service and dental and optometric care. It would also prevent. DOC from charging fees on missed medical appointments. Eliminating these fees will make Colorado communities healthier by reducing the barriers to treatment. This bill is supported by the American Medical Association and National Commission on Correctional health.
Sponsors: Reps Lorena García (D), Sens Judy Amabile (D) and Julie Gonzales (D)
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Passed House Work 04/15 44-17, Waiting to be introduced in the Senate.
Bill Summary: HB-1049, recommended by the Jail Standards Committee, seeks to expand the rights of individuals in Colorado jails regarding phone calls and conference calls. Currently, individuals in jail have the right to make a reasonable number of telephone calls to lawyers and family members. HB-1049 would expand this to include interactive conference calls. HB-1049 also ensures individuals can make and receive private, unrecorded phone/ conference calls with their lawyers at no cost. Under current law, Colorado jails are only required to allow private, in-person meetings with lawyers. By extending the right to private communication to telephone and conference calls, this bill modernizes Colorado’s current client privacy calls and particularly benefits rural and indigent defendants, ensuring their rights are better protected.
Sponsors: Rep. Ryan Armagost (R) Rep. Monica Duran (D) Sen. Nick Hinrichsen (D)
CCJRC Position: Oppose
Status: Passed House 50-12-3, Introduced in the Senate 04/17, Assigned to Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs (not yet scheduled)
Bill Summary: In current law, the sentencing structure for theft, except for auto theft, is based on the value of the item stolen. The bill exempts theft of firearms from that sentencing structure and makes theft of a firearm a class 6 felony, regardless of the firearm's value. Subsequent violations, including multiple firearms stolen in the same criminal incident, are separate class 5 felonies.
Sponsors: Rep. Shannon Bird (D), Rep. Dan Woog (R)
CCJRC Position: Monitor
Status: Introduced 01/29, Passed House Health & Human Services 04/08, Passed Appropriations 04/17, Passed Second Reading 04/17, House Floor Work 04/21
Bill Summary: This bill went under major adjustments after community pressure on the bill sponsors to not increase the bed cap. A deal was made to strike the original language from the bill and replace it with new language that does the following: Shifts bed allocation from judicial districts to catchment areas, encouraging shared use of detention beds. They set rules in law for using emergency beds to ensure the 39 emergency beds don't increase the overall bed limit. The Department of Human Services (DHS) must create a pilot program for staff to use body cameras. If a court finds a juvenile incompetent to proceed, the case must be dismissed right away. The changes also move millions of dollars into the Deflection and Community Investment Grant Program from SB25-043 by Senator Amabile, as amended, into HB25-1146.
Sponsors: Rep. Javier Mabrey (D) Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D), Sen. Judy Amabile (D) Sen. Mike Weissman (D).
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Passed the House on a vote of 37-27-1; Introduced in the Senate 3/12, Passed Senate Judiciary 3/31, House Floor Work 04/21 considering Senate amendments.
Bill Summary: HB-1147 brings municipal courts in closer alignment with basic legal standards in state court. The bill caps the maximum incarceration sentence for a municipal violation that has a comparable state law crime at the same length as the state-level offense. When there is no comparable state-level offense, the maximum period of incarceration is capped at the maximum for a state-level petty offense. Currently Coloradans face a possible sentence that is 30x longer in municipal court vs if they were charged in state court. HB-1147 will help prevent hefty sentences being applied to poverty crimes like people being swept off the streets and into jail, most often for camping, sleeping on a park bench, petty theft, urinating outdoors, and similar offenses.
Sponsors: Rep. Shannon Bird (D) Rep. Andrew Boesnecker (D)
CCJRC Position: Oppose
Status: Introduced 02/06, Passes House Judiciary 04/08, Passed Appropriations 04/17, House Floor work 04/21
Bill Summary: Under current law, it is illegal for a person to possess a firearm if the person was convicted of or adjudicated for certain felonies. The bill was amended in House Judiciary to strike the 2nd and 3rd degree motor vehicle theft previsions, and only leave the 1st degree motor vehicle theft provision related to possessing a firearm by a previous offender statute.
Sponsors: Rep. Michael Carter (D) Rep. Jennifer Bacon (D) Sen. Mike Weissman (D)
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Introduced 2/10, witnesses and testimony heard in House Judiciary on 04/29 for amendments and final committee vote.
Bill Summary: In Colorado, people can be charged with homicide or assault, even if they didn’t intend to kill someone, if their conduct showed an “extreme indifference” to the risk of death to another person. Under current law, attempted murder with extreme indifference is classified as a class 2 felony, carrying a sentence of 16 to 48 years per count, with the possibility of mandatory consecutive sentences, regardless of whether there was serious bodily injury, minor injury, or no injury at all to another person. Also, Colorado is the only state in the country that makes it a crime to “attempt” to commit homicide or assault under an “extreme indifference” theory. This bill would rewrite this law by creating a tiered system where attempt murder with extreme indifference would be a class 3 felony if there was serious bodily injury to another, a class 4 felony if there was minor bodily injury, and a class 5 felony if there was no injury at all. The bill does not alter existing laws for extreme indifference offenses that result in death.
Sponsors: Reps. Matt Soper (R) & Yara Zokaie (D) Sens. Mike Weissman (D) & Lisa Frizell (R)
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Passed House 04/16 65-0, not yet introduced in the Senate.
This bi-partisan bill was introduced in response to the scandal at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation where their leading DNA analyst, Missy Woods, deleted, omitted or manipulated DNA data in at least 1,003 criminal cases and CBI failed to take appropriate steps even after other DNA analysts raised concerns about the quality and reliability of her work for a decade. Woods was recently indicted on 102 counts.
Bill Summary: HB-1275 will enhance oversight in crime laboratories by defining “knowing misconduct” as intentional deceptive actions by lab employees and “significant events” as major deviations from established procedures that risk compromising lab integrity. Under the bill, any wrongful actions must be reported immediately to supervisors or the lab director, who is then responsible for investigating and reviewing past records. The process also requires that district attorneys notify defendants—and victims when applicable—of any reported misconduct tied to their cases. Importantly, the bill strengthens defendants’ rights by providing access to counsel, investigation, and discovery, as well as a streamlined path for post-conviction relief. If misconduct is proven to have materially affected a case, courts must vacate the conviction and order a new trial.
Sponsors: Reps. Meg Froelich (D) & Matt Soper (R), Sens. Marc Snyder (R) & Scott Bright (R)
CCJRC Position: Monitoring
Status: Passed House 04/17 52-11, not yet introduced in the Senate.
Bill Summary: This bill is in response to recent oral arguments before the Colorado Supreme on a case where the Judge waited more than 11 months to issue a restitution order, although current law requires restitution orders be entered within 91 days of conviction, unless the court finds good cause for an extension of time. At issue in that case is whether the restitution order is illegal. See People v Weeks (2021). The bill was amended in Judiciary to tighten that timeline to 63 days from the bills original 91, it does allow an additional 63 day extension if approved by the judge.
Senate Bills
Sponsors: Sens. Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D) & Judy Amabile (D), Reps Mary Bradfield (R) and Regina English (D)
CCJRC Position: Support
Status: Passed Senate Judiciary 5-2, Assigned to Senate Appropriations (not yet calendared)
Summary: SB-043 is a much-needed update to laws that affect justice involving youth. Key parts of this bill include addressing youth detention housing issues, particularly those with disabilities; mandating rehabilitative treatment and life skills [CD1] programming; updating incompetency standards; and clarifying requirements for clinician evaluations, tailored treatment plans and case manager roles for youthful offenders; and creates a community-based grant program to stop youth from even entering the system. The bill also creates a state grant program to fund local nonprofits to provide trauma-informed health services and develop deflection programs for youth.
Sponsors: Senator Dylan Roberts (D), Representative Lesley Smith (D), Representatives Matt Soper (R)
CCJRC Position: Neutral
Status: Introduced 04/03 in the Senate, Senate Health and Human Services committee hearing 04/10, Laid over for amendments.
Bill Summary: Under current law, hospitals are not required to retain blood draws for any specific period This bill would require hospitals and other health care facilities to retain blood draws or admission blood samples for 14 days if a peace officer submits a blood draw retention form. The bill sponsor has reached an agreement to amend the bill to take it out of title 16 and move it to the proper statute, as well as narrow the law to only apply to death investigations for the coroner. We appreciate the bill sponsor hearing all of community’s concerns, this amendment takes us out of a opposition position.
Sponsors: Senator John Carson (R) Senator Marc Snyder (D)
CCJRC Position: Oppose
Status: Introduced 04/07 in the Senate, Scheduled for Senate Judiciary 04/21 @ 1:30pm in the Old Supreme Court.
Bill Summary: The bill updates the penalties for careless driving that causes injury or death. If a person commits a careless driving offense and causes serious bodily injury, they will still face a class 1 misdemeanor, but may now also have their driver's license suspended for up to one year. If careless driving results in the death of another person, the penalty increases from a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense to a class 6 felony, and the driver’s license may also be suspended for up to one year. If multiple people are killed, each death is treated as a separate offense. Additionally, when careless driving causes death, law enforcement is required to administer drug or alcohol testing, and refusal to submit to testing will be considered evidence of a violation.
Signed or Awaiting Signature by the Governor
Postponed Indefinitely (died)
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