The act clarifies an existing requirement for the criminal conviction of a property owner by requiring that one or more criminal charges be brought as a prerequisite to any nuisance abatement or forfeiture proceeding. Existing law provides an exception to the conviction requirement for noninnocent owners who are not subject to criminal charges that no criminal conviction is necessary of the nonowner criminal defendant if the plaintiff proves its case by clear and convincing evidence that the property subject to the forfeiture proceeding is traceable proceeds of the charged offense or related criminal activity. The act clarifies this exception to first require a conviction of the nonowner criminal defendant before the noninnocent owner's property may be forfeited, while retaining other various exceptions that allow forfeiture actions to proceed against the interest of a claimant. The act establishes a right for indigent civil asset forfeiture defendants to access forfeiture defense counsel and creates a procedure for the appointment of forfeiture defense counsel in nuisance abatement and forfeiture proceedings. The state court administrator shall enter into a contract for services with a private contractor who regularly provides legal services for indigent clients or litigants to provide a legal defense to a civil asset forfeiture proceeding. The private contractor is subject to certain reporting requirements. The act creates a forfeiture defense counsel fund (fund) to pay for contracted forfeiture defense counsel who are authorized to represent persons against whom a nuisance abatement or forfeiture proceeding has been filed in connection with criminal charges. The fund is capped at $500,000, and starting in state fiscal year 2027-28, no general fund money is allowed to finance the fund. The balance of the fund over $500,000 is credited to the law enforcement community services grant program fund. The act transfers any unexpended and unencumbered money from the law enforcement community services grant program fund to the forfeiture counsel defense fund. The act alters the disposition of property and proceeds ordered forfeited in a nuisance abatement or forfeiture action. Currently, forfeited property and proceeds are applied first toward restitution and cost recovery for a list of stakeholders, and of the remainder, 50% is granted to the local governmental body with authority over the seizing agency, 25% is granted to the local behavioral health administrative services organization, and 25% is granted to the law enforcement community services grant program fund. The act amends the disposition of the remainder so that 50% is granted to the local governmental body with authority over the seizing agency, 25% is granted to the fund, and 25% is granted to the local behavioral health administrative services organization. The act appropriates $556,750 to the judicial department from the fund for civil asset forfeiture defense contracting and $55,000 to the department of local affairs from the fund for civil asset forfeiture portal administration.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
The act requires the division of labor standards and statistics (division) in the department of labor and employment (CDLE), on or before January 15, 2027, to begin collecting data concerning temperature-related injury or illness or temperature-related emergencies at worksites and to:Develop a platform on CDLE's website where users can provide information about occurrences of temperature-related injury or illness or temperature-related emergencies;Obtain from the department of public health and environment (CDPHE) data that CDPHE has collected through its syndromic surveillance program regarding occurrences of heat-related injury or illness or heat-related emergencies; andCollect similar data from the division of workers' compensation and the Center for Improving Value in Health Care. On or before July 1, 2028, the act requires the division to develop a model temperature-related injury and illness prevention plan (TRIIPP) that thereafter must be made available on CDLE's website. Additionally, the act requires the division to review and update the model TRIIPP at least every 5 years and grants the division authority to adopt rules necessary to implement the act. $76,651 is appropriated from the general fund to the department for use by the division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act gives county departments of human or social services and the Colorado department of human services (department) the statutory authority needed to conduct the required fingerprint-based criminal history record checks for individuals who provide out-of-home care for child-welfare-involved youth in accordance with the federal bureau of investigation's standards. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the general assembly anticipates that the department will receive $350,000 in federal funds to implement the act, and $350,000 is appropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to implement the act. The $350,000 appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from the department.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Maddy summarySB 132, known as the "Magnus Law," requires Colorado law enforcement officers to offer drivers involved in collisions resulting in death or suspected serious injury the opportunity to voluntarily take a breath test for alcohol. The bill mandates officers provide clear, plain-language advisement that the test is voluntary, refusal carries no penalty, and results cannot be used in court. It applies when officers reasonably suspect the driver was at fault and the driver isn't critically injured, creating a standardized protocol to ensure consistent investigation of potential impairment at serious crash scenes. This change aims to preserve evidence that might otherwise be lost, without altering existing legal standards for driving under the influence.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates a two-mile stretch of Colorado Highway 14 in Weld County as 'Mono & Matt Road' to honor Edwardo 'Mono' Hernandez and Matthew Garcia, two high school basketball players who died in a 2014 traffic accident. The legislation authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to install signs for the new name and allows the department to accept donations for this purpose while exploring a cooperative agreement with Weld County for future maintenance. By placing the names on a specific roadway, the bill creates a permanent physical tribute to the students in the location where the accident occurred.
Maddy summaryHJR 1028 is a joint resolution that declares the Colorado House of Representatives' intent to honor a $2 million investment in school funding studies by creating a multi-year plan to address their findings. The bill directs the legislature to review the recommendations from two recent studies, which found that current school funding levels are inadequate and teacher salaries are too low, and to decide which study's methodology to follow for implementation. It requires the development of a structured plan that includes revenue triggers to phase in changes aimed at improving school funding equity and teacher compensation.
Maddy summaryHR 1007 is a commemorative resolution honoring Colorado's 150th anniversary of statehood in 2026. The bill directly affects the people of Colorado and various government officials by formally recognizing the state's history, culture, and achievements. Its key provisions call on citizens to celebrate this milestone with gratitude and dedication to liberty while committing to preserve natural resources, promote civic education, and strengthen infrastructure. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of the state's legacy and future goals.
The act prohibits employers from making deductions from the wages or compensation of an employee for personal protective equipment. The act also requires an employer with 500 or more employees who are engaged in the slaughter of livestock or the rendering or packaging of meat to provide its employees reasonable access to restrooms. The division of labor standards and statistics in the department of labor and employment may fine an employer who fails to provide restroom access.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Maddy summaryThis bill is a resolution that formally honors Colorado law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. It expresses gratitude for their role in protecting communities and encourages residents to engage with police to build trust. The measure does not create new laws or funding but serves as a public acknowledgment of officers' work and challenges.
Currently, the 'Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado' provides that certain cancers contracted by firefighters are considered occupational diseases presumed to have been a result of the firefighters' employment. A firefighter's employer or an insurer may rebut this presumption by showing by a preponderance of the medical evidence that the cancer did not occur on the job. The act expands the types of cancer that are considered occupational diseases and strengthens the rebuttable presumption to require an employer to show clear and convincing evidence that the cancer did not occur on the job. The act exempts firefighters who are employed by the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)