Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Colorado House Panel Advances Statewide Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Bill

The bipartisan measure advanced unanimously from the House Judiciary Committee to Appropriations.

Overview

  • HB26-1009 would require officers statewide to use an 11-question lethality screening at domestic violence calls to flag high-risk situations.
  • When risk is high, officers must immediately connect victims with a local advocate, and participation in the screening remains voluntary.
  • The Attorney General would create training, begin reporting assessment data in 2028, and the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board would evaluate effectiveness in 2030.
  • Sponsors note the tool already operates in 44 counties, with Boulder using it as standard practice, and statewide implementation would start July 1, 2027 if enacted.
  • The bipartisan, survivor-led bill from Monica Duran and Ryan Gonzalez carries an $11,780 appropriation and responds to 72 domestic violence deaths recorded in 2024.