Legislation

House & Senate Bills

The American criminal justice system is designed to enforce laws and manage cases of accused and convicted crimes. This includes law enforcement institutions, courts, and corrections. As our country has changed, and as disparities have become apparent, our criminal justice system has changed as well. In this section, we highlight local and federal legislation that is helping to build a more just world for all of us. 

The following bills were introduced and passed during the 2022 Regular Session

HB22-1270 – Reproductive Health Equity Act, signed into law on 04/04/2022. This bills concerns the codification of a person’s basic right to make reproductive health-care decisions free from government interference. The bill prohibits state and local public entities (such as city police departments, county social services, public school, etc.) from denying, restricting, interfering with, or discriminating against individuals basic right to use or refuse contraception or to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion. In the state of Colorado a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws.

Read More on HB22-1279

HB22-1283 – Youth and Family Behavioral Health Care, signed into law 05/18/2022. This bill sets money aside from the behavioral and mental health cash fund to the department of human services to implement the provisions of the bill. Which are as follows, create in-home and residential short-term and time-limited care for youth and families, provides operational support of psychiatric residential treatment facilities and qualified residential treatment programs for youth.

Read More on HB22-1283

SB22-099 – Sealing Criminal Records, signed into law on 05/31/2022.This sealing of criminal records for nonviolent offenses. In the state of Colorado there is a currently process that allows for automatic sealing of criminal records for certain drug offenses. This bill extends that automatic sealing to all of the offenses (including civil infractions) that allow the defendant to petition the court for sealing records that are not subject to the victim rights act. 
Please note we cannot give legal advice to what offenses are included in this bill. Such questions should be addressed with an attorney and or other professional.

Read More on SB22-099