When a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity is accepted by a court, the act requires the court, in consultation with the department of human services (CDHS) and the parties, to determine whether a sanity examination requires the defendant to stay overnight for an extended examination and the number of days of the extended examination. If the defendant is in custody, the act authorizes the sanity examination to be conducted at the jail or place of confinement or at a facility operated by or under contract with CDHS. If the defendant is at liberty on summons or on bond, the act authorizes the sanity examination to be conducted at a facility operated by or contracted with CDHS or at an out-of-custody location that the court and CDHS determine is appropriate. If a sanity examination is recorded, the act prohibits a defendant from being dressed in prison or jail clothing and prohibits restraints on the defendant from being visible on the recording. Current law authorizes psychiatrists, forensic psychologists, and other personnel conducting a sanity examination to conduct a narcoanalytic interview of the defendant with drugs that are medically appropriate, to subject the defendant to a polygraph examination, and to testify to the results of the procedures, statements, and reactions of the defendant. The act repeals this provision. The act makes conforming amendments and technical corrections. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In the case of a veterinary health-care worker, dog groomer, humane agency personnel, professional dog handler, or trainer acting in the performance of that person's professional duties, the bill removes the term "or serious bodily injury" to the list of provisions that the statute does not apply to, leaving just "bodily injury". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Subject to specific requirements, the act allows a notice to or from a party or other document required by law in an insurance transaction that is related to a provision of a health insurance contract or that is to serve as evidence of health insurance coverage to be delivered, stored, and presented by electronic means if the electronic means meet the requirements of the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act". The delivery of a notice or document by electronic means is considered the equivalent to and has the same effect as any other delivery method required by law. The act requires health insurance carriers to deliver paper communications to any individuals that may elect to receive paper communications upon request. An insurance producer is not subject to civil liability for any harm or injury that occurs because of a party's election to receive any notice or document by electronic means or by a carrier's failure to deliver or a party's failure to receive a notice or document by electronic means. A carrier may mail, deliver, or, if the carrier obtains separate, specific consent, post on the carrier's website a health coverage plan and an endorsement that does not contain personal identifying information. If the carrier elects to post a health coverage plan and an endorsement on the carrier's website in lieu of mailing or delivering the health coverage plan and endorsement, the carrier shall comply with certain conditions. The commissioner of insurance may adopt rules to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the act prohibit making, distributing, advertising, selling, promoting, completing, altering, or producing or causing to be made, distributed, advertised, sold, promoted, completed, altered, or produced a document that simulates or closely resembles an official document related to the administration of the motor vehicle or identification statutes (vehicular document piracy). A person does not commit vehicular document piracy if the person received the express written permission of the department of revenue (department). A violation is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000. Sections 5 and 6 make the "Uniform Power of Attorney Act" apply to the motor vehicle statutes. Section 7 repeals the requirement that a military service-connected disability be permanent in order for a veteran to be eligible to register a motor vehicle without paying fees. Section 7 also repeals the license plates issued to foreign governments, consuls, or other official representatives of a foreign government. Section 8 repeals the Navy SEAL special license plate and the North American aerospace defense command commemorative special license plate, and section 9 repeals the "Alive at Twenty-five" special license plate. Under current law, a minor who is under 18 years of age must submit a log showing the minor drove at least 50 hours with a driving supervisor to be issued a driver's license. Section 10 authorizes any responsible adult to sign the log. Section 11 corrects a provision that describes a minor as being 21 years of age or older. Section 12 repeals a provision that incorrectly states the length of time a person must agree to register a vehicle after moving to Colorado. Under current law, the department may require a person to obtain a written medical opinion from certain medical professionals concerning medical criteria for driver licensing. Section 13 authorizes an advanced practice registered nurse to issue such an opinion. Section 14 authorizes the department to round fee increases to the nearest dollar. Under current law, a person who is not lawfully present may, to obtain an identification document, use an identifying document issued by an agency of the United States government or its contractors or subcontractors in accordance with rules adopted by the department, but this provision is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. Section 15 changes this effective date to the earlier of January 1, 2027, or when the department is able to implement it. Section 16 authorizes the use of a mobile driver's license, which is an official electronic extension of a department-issued physical identification document, to verify age or identity. The provider of a mobile driver's license must comply with the standards adopted by the department by rule. The department is given rule-making authority to approve and implement mobile driver's licenses. Section 16 takes effect January 1, 2026. Section 17 authorizes the motor vehicle investigations unit (unit) to cancel, deny, or deny the issuance or reissuance of an official document upon determining that the person was not entitled to the issuance of the official document for: Failure to give the required or correct information in an application or for committing fraud in making the application or in submitting any proof for the application; or Permitting an unlawful or fraudulent use of the official document or for being convicted of an offense involving misuse of the official document. If the unit cancels, denies, or denies the issuance or reissuance of an official document, the affected person may request a hearing. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law allows the use of the Colorado coordinate system of 1927 and the Colorado coordinate system of 1983 established by the national geodetic survey to state the geographic positions or locations of points on the surface of the earth within the state. The act allows the use of the most recent or a prior version of the state plane coordinate system for the same purpose. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
This joint resolution declares February 28, 2025, as Rare Disease Day in Colorado to raise awareness about rare diseases. It directly affects Colorado residents living with rare diseases - over 500,000 people - and their families, recognizing the challenges they face, including high medical costs and limited treatments. The resolution makes no new policy changes but symbolically honors those impacted by urging the state to "show our stripes" in solidarity. It references national statistics (e.g., 1 in 10 Americans affected) and the "zebra" awareness symbol for rare conditions, without creating any legal obligations or funding.
Senate Resolution 25-007 designates March 2025 as "Women's History Month" in Colorado through a symbolic resolution. It acknowledges women's historical and ongoing contributions to society, including their roles in civil rights, economic empowerment, and Colorado's legislative history. The resolution encourages public reflection on women's achievements and commits to advancing gender equality, though it does not create new laws or allocate funding. This commemorative measure directly affects Colorado residents by formally recognizing the month for community observances. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding legal effect beyond the Senate's acknowledgment.
Under current law, certain evidence of a victim's prior or subsequent sexual conduct is presumed irrelevant and inadmissible in a civil proceeding, but there is an exception for evidence of the victim's prior or subsequent sexual conduct with the defendant. The act eliminates this exception. The act prohibits the admission of evidence of the victim's manner of dress, hairstyle, mode or manner of speech, or lifestyle as evidence of the victim's consent, credibility, or the existence or extent of damages or harm. The party moving to admit evidence presumed irrelevant is required to raise the issue at a pretrial conference and make a prima facie showing that the evidence is relevant for an admissible reason and that discovery is likely to rebut the presumption of inadmissibility. The court is required to allow the nonmoving party to object. If the court allows discovery, the court must issue a protective order that limits the scope of discovery to relevant issues and protect against unwarranted, irrelevant, or overly broad discovery into the alleged victim's sexual conduct or history. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, sexual assault on a child is a class 4 felony if the victim is under 15 years of age, the actor is at least 4 years older than the victim, and specified aggravating circumstances do not apply. Sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust is a class 4 felony if the actor is in a position of trust with respect to the victim, the victim is 15 years of age or older but under 18 years of age, and the offense is not committed as part of a pattern of sexual abuse. If the offense is committed as part of a pattern of sexual abuse or the victim is less than 15 years of age, sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust is a class 3 felony. The presumptive range of penalties for a class 4 felony under current law is 2 to 6 years of imprisonment. The presumptive range of penalties for a class 3 felony under current law is 4 to 12 years of imprisonment. Under current law, a court shall sentence a sex offender to an indeterminate term in the custody of the department of corrections that can range from the applicable presumptive range minimum to a maximum of the sex offender's natural life. However, current law permits the court to sentence a sex offender to probation for an indeterminate period that can range from 10 years for a class 4 felony and 20 years for a class 3 felony to a maximum of the sex offender's natural life. The bill requires a court to sentence an offender convicted of a class 4 felony sexual assault on a child or sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust to an indeterminate term of incarceration that can range from the presumptive range minimum of 2 years to a maximum of the offender's natural life. The bill requires a court to sentence an offender convicted of a class 3 felony sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust when the child is less than 15 years of age to an indeterminate term of incarceration that can range from the presumptive range minimum of 4 years to a maximum of the offender's natural life. The bill prohibits a court from sentencing these types of offenders to probation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits a court, without the consent of the district attorney, from releasing a person on any unsecured personal recognizance bond if the person is accused of committing a crime of violence, the court finds probable cause to believe that the person has committed the offense, and either: The person has a record of conviction for a crime of violence within the prior 2 years; or There are at least 2 pending criminal charges against the person that allege that the person committed a crime of violence and the court finds probable cause to believe that the person has committed the prior alleged offenses (repeat violent offender). Existing law requires any monetary condition of pretrial release to be reasonable. The bill states that a reasonable monetary condition of pretrial release for a repeat violent offender is at least $7,500. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires the department of public health and environment to annually license and to establish and enforce standards for the operation of medical facilities that perform medical or surgical induced abortions during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the graduate medical education grant program (grant program) in the health facilities and emergency medical services division (division) within the department of public health and environment (department). The purpose of the grant program is to support the establishment of accredited residency programs at health-care facilities in Colorado that have never had a physician resident training program in order to expand physician training capacity and address the state's physician workforce shortage. The division shall engage stakeholders, including representatives from for-profit and not-for-profit medical schools, to recommend criteria for grant eligibility and other aspects of the grant award and reporting process. The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for purposes related to the grant program. The bill requires the department to include information about the grant program's role in creating new medical residency programs in the department's "SMART Act" hearings. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
