Senate Committee of Reference Report
Committee on Appropriations
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May 1, 2025
After consideration on the merits, the Committee recommends the following:
SB25-304 be amended as follows, and as so amended, be referred to the Committee of the Whole with favorable recommendation and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar:
Page 1, Line 1Amend printed bill, page 2, strike lines 2 through 19.
Page 1, Line 2Strike pages 3 through 7 and substitute:
Page 1, Line 3"SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 14 to
Page 1, Line 4article 31 of title 24 as follows:
Page 1, Line 5PART 14
Page 1, Line 6COLORADO SEXUAL ASSAULT
Page 1, Line 7FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE REVIEW BOARD
Page 1, Line 824-31-1401. Colorado sexual assault forensic medical evidence
Page 1, Line 9review board - creation - membership - duties - report - definitions
Page 1, Line 10- repeal. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
Page 1, Line 11requires:
Page 1, Line 12(a) "Department" means the department of law.
Page 1, Line 13(b) "Review board" means the Colorado sexual assault
Page 1, Line 14forensic medical evidence review board, established in
Page 1, Line 15subsection (2) of this section.
Page 1, Line 16(2) The Colorado sexual assault forensic medical
Page 1, Line 17evidence review board is established in the department to carry
Page 1, Line 18out the duties described in subsection (6) of this section and
Page 1, Line 19submit the report described in subsection (7) of this section.
Page 1, Line 20(3) The board consists of:
Page 1, Line 21(a) The attorney general, or their designee, who is the
Page 1, Line 22chair of the review board;
Page 1, Line 23(b) The executive director of the Colorado district
Page 1, Line 24attorneys' council or their designee;
Page 1, Line 25(c) The following members, appointed by the attorney
Page 1, Line 26general:
Page 2, Line 1(I) A representative of a statewide nonprofit organization
Page 2, Line 2that offers training and expert advice to sexual assault
Page 2, Line 3programs;
Page 2, Line 4(II) A representative of a statewide nonprofit
Page 2, Line 5organization that provides legal assistance to victims of sexual
Page 2, Line 6assault;
Page 2, Line 7(III) A representative of a statewide organization that
Page 2, Line 8provides training and technical assistance for medical forensic
Page 2, Line 9exams;
Page 2, Line 10(IV) A representative of a statewide association of chiefs
Page 2, Line 11of police;
Page 2, Line 12(V) A representative of a statewide association of
Page 2, Line 13sheriffs;
Page 2, Line 14(VI) Three representatives from organizations that
Page 2, Line 15provide services or advocate for communities that experience
Page 2, Line 16disproportionate rates of sexual assault; and
Page 2, Line 17(VII) Up to three members, at the discretion of the
Page 2, Line 18attorney general, whose contributions the attorney general
Page 2, Line 19determines would be valuable to the work of the review board;
Page 2, Line 20and
Page 2, Line 21(d) The following members, appointed by the governor:
Page 2, Line 22(I) A representative of the division of criminal justice in
Page 2, Line 23the department of public safety who has oversight of the
Page 2, Line 24statewide sexual assault evidence collection kit tracking
Page 2, Line 25system created in section 24-33.5-113.5; and
Page 2, Line 26(II) A representative of the division of criminal justice in
Page 2, Line 27the department of public safety who has oversight of federal
Page 2, Line 28and state victim service funding and victim rights compliance.
Page 2, Line 29(4) (a) The attorney general and governor shall appoint
Page 2, Line 30the members to the review board on or before August 1, 2025.
Page 2, Line 31(b) The attorney general is strongly encouraged to
Page 2, Line 32appoint review board members who represent as fully as possible
Page 2, Line 33Colorado's diversity with regard to race, ethnicity, disability
Page 2, Line 34status, sexual orientation, and geography.
Page 2, Line 35(c) Except for the attorney general and director of the
Page 2, Line 36Colorado district attorneys' council, or their designees, review
Page 2, Line 37board members serve four-year terms and are eligible for
Page 2, Line 38reappointment no more than two times at the expiration of a
Page 2, Line 39four-year term.
Page 2, Line 40(d) Review board members serve without compensation but
Page 2, Line 41may receive per diem and reimbursement for costs, subject to the
Page 2, Line 42availability of funds.
Page 2, Line 43(e) The appointing authority shall appoint a member to fill
Page 3, Line 1a vacancy, as necessary.
Page 3, Line 2(5) The review board shall convene on or before August
Page 3, Line 31, 2025, and shall meet thereafter as determined necessary by
Page 3, Line 4the review board.
Page 3, Line 5(6) The review board shall:
Page 3, Line 6(a) Review and monitor the effectiveness of the current
Page 3, Line 7protocols, standards, and training practices for the medical,
Page 3, Line 8law enforcement, and criminal-legal system response to sexual
Page 3, Line 9assault;
Page 3, Line 10(b) Develop recommendations to improve specific
Page 3, Line 11protocols, standards, and training practices for the medical,
Page 3, Line 12law enforcement, and criminal-legal system response to sexual
Page 3, Line 13assault;
Page 3, Line 14(c) Ensure victim-centered implementation of provisions
Page 3, Line 15regarding medical forensic exams for victims of sexual assault
Page 3, Line 16in the federal "Violence Against Women Act of 1994", title IV of
Page 3, Line 17Pub. L. 103-322, including provisions in reauthorizations of the
Page 3, Line 18federal act, and state law provisions for forensic medical
Page 3, Line 19exams;
Page 3, Line 20(d) Provide ongoing review of data and information
Page 3, Line 21regarding the needs, priorities, and services for responding to
Page 3, Line 22sexual assault throughout the state;
Page 3, Line 23(e) Monitor the effectiveness of laws concerning sexual
Page 3, Line 24assault and make recommendations to the general assembly to
Page 3, Line 25improve their effectiveness; and
Page 3, Line 26(f) Make recommendations to the general assembly
Page 3, Line 27concerning the response to sexual assault, including medical
Page 3, Line 28forensic evidence, law enforcement reporting, and victim
Page 3, Line 29experience.
Page 3, Line 30(7) (a) (I) On or before December 15, 2025, the review board
Page 3, Line 31shall submit a preliminary report to the general assembly. The
Page 3, Line 32preliminary report must include the review board's
Page 3, Line 33recommendations described in subsection (6) of this section.
Page 3, Line 34(II) This subsection (7)(a) is repealed, effective June 30,
Page 3, Line 352027.
Page 3, Line 36(b) (I) On or before November 1, 2026, and on or before
Page 3, Line 37each November 1 thereafter, the review board shall submit a
Page 3, Line 38report to the general assembly. The report must include the
Page 3, Line 39review board's recommendations described in subsection (6) of
Page 3, Line 40this section.
Page 3, Line 41(II) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the
Page 3, Line 42requirement to submit the report described in this subsection
Page 3, Line 43(7)(b) continues indefinitely.".
Page 4, Line 1Page 8, line 9, strike "case, upon request," and substitute "case upon
Page 4, Line 2request,".
Page 4, Line 3Page 8, line 12, strike "at least once".
Page 4, Line 4Page 8, line 13, strike "if" and substitute "when".
Page 4, Line 5Page 8, line 14, after "not" insert "yet".
Page 4, Line 6Page 8, line 15, strike "laboratory;" and substitute "laboratory. A
Page 4, Line 7law enforcement agency complies with this subsection
Page 4, Line 8(1)(b.8)(II.5) by notifying all victims required to be notified at
Page 4, Line 9the same time during the first week of each of March, June,
Page 4, Line 10September, and December.".
Page 4, Line 11Page 8, line 21, strike "endeavor" and substitute "endeavor, subject
Page 4, Line 12to available capacity, funding, and personnel,".
Page 4, Line 13Page 9, strike lines 3 and 4 and substitute "amend (4)(a) introductory
Page 4, Line 14portion as follows:".
Page 4, Line 15Page 9, strike lines 14 through 19.
Page 4, Line 16Page 9, strike lines 21 and 22 and substitute "amend as added by Senate
Page 4, Line 17Bill 25-170 (4)(c) and (4)(d) as follows:"
Page 4, Line 18Page 9, strike lines 26 and 27.
Page 4, Line 19Page 10, strike lines 1 through 7 and substitute:
Page 4, Line 20"(c) (I) Design and implement, within ninety days after the
Page 4, Line 21effective date of this section, a public-facing dashboard on the department
Page 4, Line 22of public safety's website that provides reports on the forensic medical
Page 4, Line 23evidence and sexual assault kit DNA evidence backlogs, including the:
Page 4, Line 24total caseload numbers subject to the backlog, total fiscal year caseload
Page 4, Line 25numbers subject to the backlog, the number of forensic medical evidence
Page 4, Line 26tests and sexual assault kit tests completed in the previous thirty days, the
Page 4, Line 27number of new cases received within the previous thirty days, and the
Page 4, Line 28current average turnaround times to conduct a forensic medical evidence
Page 4, Line 29test or a sexual assault kit test. The department shall update the dashboard
Page 4, Line 30at least every thirty days.
Page 4, Line 31(A) Total caseload numbers subject to the backlog;
Page 4, Line 32(B) Total fiscal year caseload numbers subject to the
Page 4, Line 33backlog;
Page 5, Line 1(C) Total number of cases with pending DNA evidence
Page 5, Line 2tests;
Page 5, Line 3(D) Total number of sexual assault cases;
Page 5, Line 4(E) Total number of cases with a pending DNA evidence
Page 5, Line 5sample collected with attached or independently submitted
Page 5, Line 6forensic medical evidence;
Page 5, Line 7(F) Total of number of cases with a pending DNA evidence
Page 5, Line 8sample collected from a crime scene involving sexual assault
Page 5, Line 9for which no forensic medical evidence has been submitted;
Page 5, Line 10(G) Current average turnaround time for a DNA evidence
Page 5, Line 11test;
Page 5, Line 12(H) Current average turnaround time for a forensic
Page 5, Line 13medical evidence test;
Page 5, Line 14(I) Total number of tests that the Colorado bureau of
Page 5, Line 15investigation has completed in the previous thirty days;
Page 5, Line 16(J) Total number of tests that laboratories with which
Page 5, Line 17the Colorado bureau of investigation has contracted have
Page 5, Line 18completed in the previous thirty days;
Page 5, Line 19(K) Total number of new DNA tests and forensic medical
Page 5, Line 20evidence tests received within the previous thirty days;
Page 5, Line 21(L) Anticipated timeline for the Colorado bureau of
Page 5, Line 22investigation to achieve an average ninety-day turnaround time
Page 5, Line 23for forensic medical evidence tests;
Page 5, Line 24(M) Information concerning the Colorado bureau of
Page 5, Line 25investigation's lab analyst staffing levels; and
Page 5, Line 26(N) The information required pursuant to section
Page 5, Line 2724-33.5-113.5 (4).
Page 5, Line 28(II) The department shall update the dashboard at least
Page 5, Line 29every thirty days.
Page 5, Line 30(d) Provide email updates every thirty days beginning March 10,
Page 5, Line 312025, through June 30, 2026, to the general assembly regarding the
Page 5, Line 32forensic medical evidence and sexual assault kit backlogs, which include:
Page 5, Line 33(I) The total number of cases with pending forensic medical
Page 5, Line 34evidence tests; The information required pursuant to subsection
Page 5, Line 35(4)(c) of this section; and
Page 5, Line 36(II) The total number of cases with pending sexual assault kit
Page 5, Line 37tests; Information or updates on difficulties contracting with
Page 5, Line 38external labs that may affect the bureau's anticipated testing
Page 5, Line 39capacity, volume, turnaround expectations, or other
Page 5, Line 40information explaining why the results vary from the projected
Page 5, Line 41caseload timeline reflected in the February 10, 2025, bureau
Page 5, Line 42whitepaper document provided to the general assembly.
Page 5, Line 43(III) The current average turnaround time for a forensic medical
Page 6, Line 1test;
Page 6, Line 2(IV) The current average turnaround time for a sexual assault kit
Page 6, Line 3test;
Page 6, Line 4(V) The number of tests the bureau's internal lab has completed
Page 6, Line 5in the previous thirty days;
Page 6, Line 6(VI) The number of tests external contracted labs have completed
Page 6, Line 7in the previous thirty days;
Page 6, Line 8(VII) The anticipated timeline for the bureau to achieve an
Page 6, Line 9average ninety-day turnaround time for sexual assault kit tests;
Page 6, Line 10(VIII) Updates on the bureau's lab analyst staffing levels; and
Page 6, Line 11(IX) Information or updates on difficulties contracting with
Page 6, Line 12external labs that may affect the bureau's anticipated testing capacity,
Page 6, Line 13volume, turnaround expectations, or other information explaining why the
Page 6, Line 14results vary from the projected caseload timeline reflected in the February
Page 6, Line 1510, 2025, bureau whitepaper document provided to the general assembly.
Page 6, Line 16SECTION 6. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,
Page 6, Line 17$39,938 is appropriated to the department of law for use by the
Page 6, Line 18administration division. This appropriation is from the general fund and
Page 6, Line 19is based on an assumption that the division will require an additional 0.5
Page 6, Line 20FTE. To implement this act, the division may use this appropriation for
Page 6, Line 21personal services.".
Page 6, Line 22Renumber succeeding section accordingly.
Page 6, Line 23Page 1, line 102, strike "backlog." and substitute "backlog, and, in
Page 6, Line 24connection therewith, making an appropriation.".