A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning notifying a school when a student has
Page 1, Line 102experienced a traumatic event.
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 requires the safe2tell program (safe2tell) to provide a handle-with-care notice to a school when a student has had an adverse childhood experience. A peace officer who responds to an incident that is an adverse childhood experience shall report to safe2tell the name and age of the child involved in the incident. Upon receipt of a report, safe2tell shall send a handle-with-care notice to the child's school that includes only the child's name and the phrase "handle with care". A school shall only share the notice with school staff who need to know about the notice. Other than notifying school staff, a school is not required to take any action with respect to the notice.
This Unofficial Version Includes Committee
Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-31-603, amend the introductory portion and (1); and add(1.5), (2.5), and (5) as follows:
Page 2, Line 324-31-603. Definitions. As used in this
articlePage 2, Line 4(1)
"Department" means the department of law.Page 2, Line 5childhood experience" means a traumatic event that involves a
Page 2, Line 6school-aged child or the child's family or that occurs at the
Page 2, Line 7child's home. "Adverse childhood experience" includes, but is not
Page 2, Line 8limited to, an incident of domestic violence; a serious accident;
Page 2, Line 9the arrest of a parent or family member; reports of abuse or
Page 2, Line 10neglect to a county department of human or social services, the
Page 2, Line 11state department of human services, or a law enforcement
Page 2, Line 12agency; a death at the child's home or of a friend of the child; execution of a search warrant; or a drug or alcohol overdose.
Page 2, Line 13(1.5) "Department" means the department of law.
Page 2, Line 14(2.5) "Large rural school district" means a school
Page 2, Line 15district in Colorado that the department of education
Page 2, Line 16determines is rural, based on the geographic size of the district
Page 2, Line 17and the distance of the district from the nearest large,
Page 2, Line 18urbanized area, that had a funded pupil count for the prior
Page 2, Line 19budget year of one thousand pupils or more but fewer than six
Page 2, Line 20thousand five hundred pupils.
Page 3, Line 1(5) "Small rural school district" means a school district
Page 3, Line 2in Colorado that the department of education determines is
Page 3, Line 3rural, based on the geographic size of the district and the
Page 3, Line 4distance of the district from the nearest large, urbanized area,
Page 3, Line 5that had a funded pupil count for the prior budget year of fewer than one thousand pupils.
Page 3, Line 6SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-31-606, add (5) as follows:
Page 3, Line 724-31-606. Safe2tell program - creation - duties - handle-with
Page 3, Line 8-care notice. (5) (a) The program shall provide a
Page 3, Line 9handle-with-care notice to a school when a student has had an adverse childhood experience:
Page 3, Line 10(I) Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, for students enrolled in a school in a small rural school district;
Page 3, Line 11(II) Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, for students
Page 3, Line 12enrolled in a small rural school district or a large rural school district; and
Page 3, Line 13(III) Beginning with the 2028-29 school year, for students enrolled in any school statewide.
Page 3, Line 14(b) Beginning August 1, 2026, a peace officer who responds
Page 3, Line 15to an incident that is an adverse childhood experience may,
Page 3, Line 16subject to constitutional limitations, either report to the
Page 3, Line 17program the name and age of the child involved in the incident
Page 3, Line 18or provide information to the child's parent or guardian about how to inform the school through the program.
Page 3, Line 19(c) Upon receiving a report of an adverse childhood
Page 3, Line 20experience pursuant to subsection (5)(b) of this section, the
Page 4, Line 1program shall send a handle-with-care notice to the child's
Page 4, Line 2school before the start of the next school day after receiving
Page 4, Line 3the report. The handle-with-care notice must only include the
Page 4, Line 4child's name and the phrase "handle with care". The notice must
Page 4, Line 5not include any details about the adverse childhood experience incident.
Page 4, Line 6(d) A school that receives a handle-with-care notice
Page 4, Line 7shall not include the notice in the child's records and shall
Page 4, Line 8only share the notice with school staff who, in the school's
Page 4, Line 9chief administrative officer's or the officer's designee's
Page 4, Line 10determination, need to know about the notice. Other than
Page 4, Line 11notifying school staff, a school is not required to take any action with respect to the child or notice.
Page 4, Line 12SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 4, Line 13determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 4, Line 14preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 4, Line 15the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.