JOINT RELEASE: Bill to Bolster Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence Becomes Law
DENVER, CO - Governor Jared Polis today signed bipartisan legislation into law that will require lethality assessments to be conducted when law enforcement responds to domestic violence incidents to better protect survivors from harm.
“We’re giving law enforcement more tools to identify domestic violence to remove survivors from danger and connect them with life-saving resources,” said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “As a survivor, I know that lethality assessments can be the lifeline that helps a domestic violence survivor escape their abuser. This new law will improve public safety across Colorado and promote the use of additional tools to protect Coloradans from danger.”
“This law ensures law enforcement takes extra care to identify those at highest risk of death or serious injury by domestic violence and connects them with resources that can save their life,” said Senator Katie Wallace, D-Longmont. “I spent six years working in domestic violence prevention and intervention. Lethality assessments are an evidence-based tool that can prevent the worst outcomes before it’s too late.”
HB26-1009, also sponsored by Senator Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, and Representative Ryan Gonzalez, R-Greeley, creates the Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment Act to support survivors of domestic violence and keep Colorado communities safe.
Beginning July 1, 2027, the law requires police officers responding to a domestic violence case to conduct a “lethality assessment” and include the results in their incident report. This assessment is an evidence-based screening tool that helps identify the likelihood of serious injuries or death, including questions about whether the abuser has a history of abuse and if the abuser has ever threatened to use or has used a weapon to harm them. If the findings from the lethality assessment indicate that the survivor is at-risk of harm, law enforcement will immediately reach out to a community-based victim advocate and offer the victim an opportunity to speak with them. The law also requires the Attorney General’s office to create a mandatory training for law enforcement officers to learn how to administer the assessment.
Majority Leader Duran has spearheaded pivotal legislation supporting survivors, including laws to funnel $54 million annually to crime victim and behavioral health programs, invest $48 million toward life-saving access to critical resources, programs, and support to victims of crime, including domestic violence and increasing safety by strengthening protections around civil protection orders.