A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning raising the age of a child who may be
Page 1, Line 102voluntarily relinquished from seventy-two hours old
Page 1, Line 103to thirty days old or younger.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Under current law, a parent can voluntarily relinquish their child to a firefighter or hospital or community clinic emergency center staff member if the child is less than 72 hours old. The bill allows a parent to voluntarily relinquish their child if the child is 30 days old or younger.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-3-304.5, amend
Page 2, Line 3(1)(a) as follows:
Page 2, Line 419-3-304.5. Emergency possession of certain relinquished
Page 2, Line 5children - legislative declaration - definitions.
Page 2, Line 6(1) If a parent voluntarily delivers a child to a firefighter, as
Page 2, Line 7defined in section 18-3-201 (1.5), or a staff member who engages in the
Page 2, Line 8admission, care, or treatment of patients at a hospital or community clinic
Page 2, Line 9emergency center, as defined in subsection (9) of this section, when the
Page 2, Line 10firefighter is at a fire station or the staff member is at a hospital or
Page 2, Line 11community clinic emergency center, as defined in subsection (9) of this
Page 2, Line 12section, the firefighter or staff member of the hospital or community
Page 2, Line 13clinic emergency center shall, without a court order, take temporary
Page 2, Line 14physical custody of the child if:
Page 2, Line 15(a) The child is
seventy-two hoursPage 2, Line 16and
Page 2, Line 17SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 18-6-401, amend
Page 2, Line 18(9)(a) as follows:
Page 2, Line 1918-6-401. Child abuse - definition.
Page 2, Line 20(9) (a) If a parent is charged with permitting a child to be
Page 2, Line 21unreasonably placed in a situation that poses a threat of injury to the
Page 2, Line 22child's life or health, pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section, and the
Page 2, Line 23child was
seventy-two hoursPage 2, Line 24the alleged offense, it is an affirmative defense to the charge that the
Page 2, Line 25parent safely, reasonably, and knowingly handed the child over to a
Page 2, Line 26firefighter, as defined in section 18-3-201 (1.5), or to a staff member who
Page 3, Line 1engages in the admission, care, or treatment of patients at a hospital or
Page 3, Line 2community clinic emergency center, as defined in subsection (9)(b) of
Page 3, Line 3this section, when the firefighter is at a fire station, or the staff member
Page 3, Line 4is at a hospital or community clinic emergency center, as defined in
Page 3, Line 5subsection (9)(b) of this section.
Page 3, Line 6SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-1-128, amend
Page 3, Line 7(6)(j) as follows:
Page 3, Line 822-1-128. Comprehensive human sexuality education -
Page 3, Line 9guidelines and content standards - legislative declaration -
Page 3, Line 10definitions.
Page 3, Line 11(6) Human sexuality instruction is not required. However, if a
Page 3, Line 12school district, board of cooperative services, charter school, or institute
Page 3, Line 13charter school offers human sexuality instruction, the instruction must be
Page 3, Line 14comprehensive and meet the comprehensive human sexuality education
Page 3, Line 15content requirements. These requirements must:
Page 3, Line 16(j) Provide age-appropriate information concerning sections
Page 3, Line 1718-6-401 (9) and 19-3-304.5, or any successor laws, referred to generally
Page 3, Line 18as "safe haven laws", relating to the safe abandonment of a child to a
Page 3, Line 19firefighter at a fire station or to a staff member at a hospital or a
Page 3, Line 20community clinic emergency center within the first
seventy-two hoursPage 3, Line 21thirty days of the child's life.
Page 3, Line 22SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-25-103, amend
Page 3, Line 23(3)(n) as follows:
Page 3, Line 2422-25-103. Definitions.
Page 3, Line 25As used in this article 25, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 26(3) "Comprehensive health education" means a planned,
Page 3, Line 27sequential health program of learning experiences in preschool,
Page 4, Line 1kindergarten, and grades one through twelve that must include, but is not
Page 4, Line 2limited to, the following topics:
Page 4, Line 3(n) If not included in other curricula or programs provided to
Page 4, Line 4students, age-appropriate information concerning sections 18-6-401 (9)
Page 4, Line 5and 19-3-304.5, or any successor laws, referred to generally as "safe
Page 4, Line 6haven laws", relating to the safe abandonment of a child to a firefighter
Page 4, Line 7at a fire station, or to a staff member at a hospital or a community clinic
Page 4, Line 8emergency center, within the first
seventy-two hoursPage 4, Line 9child's life.
Page 4, Line 10SECTION 5. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 4, Line 11takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 4, Line 12ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
Page 4, Line 1312, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
Page 4, Line 14referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
Page 4, Line 15state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
Page 4, Line 16within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
Page 4, Line 17unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 4, Line 18November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
Page 4, Line 19official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.