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House passes bill to restore youth hearing rights after Colorado Supreme Court ruling
Summary
House Bill 12‑27 was presented as a narrow statutory fix to restore children’s party rights in dependency and neglect proceedings curtailed by the Colorado Supreme Court’s RMP decision; the House passed the bill after debate over parental rights and safeguards.
The Colorado House passed House Bill 12‑27 on April 17, 2026, a measure supporters described as restoring nearly four decades of practice that allowed children and youth to have a hearing before a dependency or neglect petition could be dismissed over the child's objection. Sponsors said the change responds to the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in People in the interest of RMP, which removed a procedural safeguard and, in their view, allowed unilateral county dismissal without a court hearing where a child objected.
Representative Gilchrist, the sponsor, described the bill as bipartisan and narrowly tailored to ensure courts retain authority to hear children's concerns before dismissal. "For nearly 40 years, Colorado got this right," Gilchrist said, urging members to restore the process so children could present evidence about their safety and well‑being.
Opponents — including Representatives Bradley, Bottoms and others — warned the change risked being used to challenge parental authority or to increase litigation and delay reunification. Floor amendments and technical edits intended to address county concerns and preserve judicial discretion were offered and adopted. The House passed the bill by voice vote.
