A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning using a mandatory lethality assessment when
Page 1, Line 102responding to a domestic violence incident.
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.)
The bill creates the "Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment Act", which requires peace officers to conduct a lethality assessment when responding to a domestic violence incident and include the results of the lethality assessment in the incident report. If the lethality assessment indicates that an individual is a high-risk victim, or if a peace officer determines an individual is a high-risk victim based on the totality of the circumstances, the peace officer is required to immediately connect the victim to a victim's advocate either by phone or in person.
The bill requires the attorney general's office, in coordination with a Colorado-based coalition that advocates for survivors of domestic violence, to develop a mandatory training for peace officers to learn how to administer the lethality assessment and provide victim referrals. The bill requires each law enforcement agency to ensure that each peace officer employed by the agency has completed the mandatory training.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 18-6-806 as
Page 2, Line 3follows:
Page 2, Line 418-6-806. Mandatory lethality assessments - short title -
Page 2, Line 5legislative declaration - definitions.
Page 2, Line 6(1) Short title.The short title of this section is the
Page 2, Line 7"Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment Act".
Page 2, Line 8(2) Legislative declaration.The general assembly finds and
Page 2, Line 9declares that requiring law enforcement agencies to administer
Page 2, Line 10a standardized, evidence-based lethality assessment when
Page 2, Line 11responding to a domestic violence incident will ensure high-risk
Page 2, Line 12victims promptly receive safety resources and referrals.
Page 2, Line 13(3) Definitions.As used in this section, unless the context
Page 2, Line 14otherwise requires:
Page 2, Line 15(a) "Domestic violence incident" means an incident of
Page 2, Line 16domestic violence, as defined in section 18-6-800.3.
Page 2, Line 17(b) "High-risk victim" means a victim who screens positive
Page 2, Line 18under the lethality assessment tool.
Page 2, Line 19(c) "Lethality assessment" means a validated,
Page 2, Line 20evidence-based screening tool that includes standardized
Page 2, Line 21questions and that is administered by a peace officer at the
Page 3, Line 1scene of a domestic violence incident.
Page 3, Line 2(4) Mandatory lethality assessment.
Page 3, Line 3(a) Beginning July 1, 2027, a peace officer is required to
Page 3, Line 4conduct a lethality assessment when responding to a domestic
Page 3, Line 5violence incident and include the results of the lethality
Page 3, Line 6assessment in the incident report.
Page 3, Line 7(b) If the lethality assessment indicates that an
Page 3, Line 8individual is a high-risk victim, or if a peace officer determines
Page 3, Line 9that the individual is a high-risk victim based on the totality of
Page 3, Line 10the circumstances, the peace officer shall immediately connect
Page 3, Line 11the victim to a victim's advocate, as defined in section 13-90-107
Page 3, Line 12(1)(k)(II), either by phone or in person.
Page 3, Line 13(5) Training and implementation.
Page 3, Line 14(a) The attorney general's office, in coordination with a
Page 3, Line 15Colorado-based coalition that advocates for survivors of
Page 3, Line 16domestic violence, shall develop a mandatory training for peace
Page 3, Line 17officers to learn how to administer the lethality assessment
Page 3, Line 18and provide victim referrals pursuant to subsection (4) of this
Page 3, Line 19section.
Page 3, Line 20(b) No later than January 1, 2027, the attorney general
Page 3, Line 21shall make the mandatory training available and offer
Page 3, Line 22assistance to law enforcement agencies in providing the
Page 3, Line 23mandatory training.
Page 3, Line 24(c) Beginning July 1, 2027, each law enforcement agency
Page 3, Line 25shall ensure that each peace officer employed by the agency has
Page 3, Line 26completed the mandatory training developed pursuant to this
Page 3, Line 27subsection (5).
Page 4, Line 1(6) Reporting and oversight.
Page 4, Line 2(a) Beginning January 2028, and each January thereafter,
Page 4, Line 3the attorney general's office shall report the total number of
Page 4, Line 4domestic violence incidents in the previous calendar year, the
Page 4, Line 5total number of lethality assessments conducted, the total
Page 4, Line 6number of high-risk victims identified, and the total number of
Page 4, Line 7referrals made, as part of the office's "SMART Act"
Page 4, Line 8presentation required pursuant to part 2 of article 7 of title 2.
Page 4, Line 9(b) No later than January 31, 2030, the domestic violence
Page 4, Line 10fatality review board created in section 24-31-702 shall
Page 4, Line 11evaluate the effectiveness of mandatory lethality assessments
Page 4, Line 12and referral to appropriate resources pursuant to this section
Page 4, Line 13and submit the evaluation to the house of representatives
Page 4, Line 14judiciary committee and the senate judiciary committee, or their
Page 4, Line 15successor committees.
Page 4, Line 16SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 4, Line 17determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 4, Line 18preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 4, Line 19the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
Page 4, Line 20institutions.