HB 25-1225 Colorado House · 2025 Regular Session

Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act

Summary

The"Freedom From Intimidation In Elections Act" is created and prohibits any individual from intimidating, threatening, or coercing or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any individual for: Voting or attempting to vote; Urging or aiding any individual to vote or attempt to vote; Exercising any powers or duties to administer elections, including vote counting, canvassing, and election certification; or The individual's status as a past or present participant in the administration of elections. The act specifies that an individual who carries a visible firearm, imitation firearm, or toy firearm while interacting with or observing any of the specified election-related activities is presumed, in the absence of any affirmative showing to the contrary by a preponderance of the evidence, to have engaged in intimidation prohibited by the act; except that the presumption does not apply to a law enforcement officer or a uniformed security guard acting within the scope of their authority, and mere possession of a holstered firearm by such an officer or guard while interacting with or observing any of the specified election-related activities does not violate the Act. An aggrieved individual, an election official, a designated election official, the secretary of state, or the attorney general may enforce the provisions of the act. A suit brought by an election official, a designated election official, the secretary of state, or the attorney general does not preclude a contemporaneous private suit by an aggrieved individual to enforce the provisions of the act. In a suit to enforce the provisions of the act, a court may grant relief enjoining the use or carrying of firearms by a defendant beyond the existing prohibitions on using or carrying firearms in or near polling locations drop boxes and in or on the property of ceratin types of government buildings. To prevail in a suit to enforce the provisions of the act, a plaintiff is not required to prove that a defendant intended to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any individual, except to prove an attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, but a court may consider evidence of intent in determining the appropriate relief. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Feb 11, 2025 Signed May 12, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 7 comparisons

What changed between versions

Rerevised (04/28/2025) → Revised (04/25/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised to update its status from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' and to add detailed examples of election intimidation incidents in Colorado, including specific cases from 2020-2024. The revision also includes statistics on election official turnover and clarifies the bill's intent to supplement federal voting rights protections.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific examples of election intimidation incidents in Colorado from 2020-2024, including a cease and desist letter to a mobile home park owner, shouting at election workers in El Paso County, threats received by the secretary of state, and a guilty plea by a Cortez resident for threatening election officials.

Added statistics showing that approximately 40% of local election officials in Colorado have left their positions since 2020, with Colorado's departure rate higher than the national average in 2024.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document header from 'REREVISED' to 'REVISED' and updated the amendment status language to reflect changes adopted on second reading in the Second House.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 28, 2025 · House Apr 1, 2025

How they voted

22–12

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 35

Apr 28, 2025

D Democratic23

22 Yea 1

95% Yea

R Republican12

12 Nay

100% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 12, 2025

Signed into law

Governor Signed

executive

May 1, 2025

Introduced

House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass

lower

Apr 29, 2025

Introduced

House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily

lower

Apr 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

upper

Apr 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs

upper

Apr 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Introduced

Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs

lower

4 primary · 36 co-sponsors