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Senate approves Public Safety supplemental and extends spending authority for testing backlogs after debate
Summary
Senate Bill 105 and a budget-neutral amendment extending one-year spending authority were adopted to allow the Department of Public Safety and CBI to pursue contracted testing capacity for evidence kits; the Joint Budget Committee had opposed automatic roll-forward authority.
The Senate adopted Senate Bill 105, a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Public Safety, and approved an amendment that extends spending authority by 12 months to allow the state to use contract capacity to reduce the backlog of forensic testing at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Senator Bridges moved the supplemental; Senator Weissman offered amendment J001, a budget‑neutral change that replaces fiscal year 2024-25 spending authority with 2025-26 authority to provide an additional 12 months of time to obligate and expend contract funds. The amendment was aimed at giving a longer runway for contracting outside labs to address long testing turnaround times.
Members of the Joint Budget Committee opposed automatic roll‑forward authority, saying the committee denied such authority to press the department for a concrete plan before additional spending authority is granted. Supporters of the amendment said the extension is necessary to get contracted capacity up and running and reduce the backlog so survivors of sexual assault do not face hundreds of days’ delays.
Senators described strong bipartisan frustration with CBI’s capacity and the trauma caused by long delays; several senators said they are pursuing additional reforms and oversight outside the supplemental process. The amendment J001 was adopted on the floor; after additional discussion the Senate adopted Assembly Bill 105 as amended. The transcript records the adoption without a printed roll-call tally in the immediate exchange.
Lawmakers signaled the adoption of J001 and the supplemental is a short‑term step and that further legislative work to address structural problems at CBI and improve accountability will continue.
