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Senate adopts bill to require law‑enforcement lethality assessments and immediate victim referral to advocates
Summary
The Senate approved a bill directing officers to use evidence‑based lethality assessments starting July 2027 and to connect high‑risk survivors to confidential community advocates; sponsors emphasized survivor choice and statewide reporting while some members urged clearer inclusion of embedded law‑enforcement advocates.
The Senate adopted House Bill 109 on April 24 after supporters described the measure as a survivor‑centered expansion of an evidence‑based protocol used in some Colorado jurisdictions. Under the law, beginning July 2027 officers responding to domestic violence calls will carry out a standardized lethality assessment; when a case is identified as high‑risk the officer will offer an immediate referral to a confidential community‑based domestic violence advocate.
"This legislation is grounded in evidence, centered on survivors and dedicated to prevention," Senator Wallace told colleagues, describing the protocol as voluntary for survivors and aimed at delivering confidential support at moments of acute risk.
Several members praised the measure’s statewide reporting requirements and the involvement of the attorney general and survivor coalitions in developing training. Others—while supporting the goal—urged the sponsors to clarify language so embedded law‑enforcement victim advocates employed by agencies and district attorneys’ offices are not inadvertently excluded from referral pathways.
The bill passed on second reading in committee and was adopted on the floor after discussion. Sponsors said the bill strikes a balance between urging best practice and preserving survivor autonomy; the measure directs the domestic violence fatality review board to study outcomes and report to the legislature.
Next steps: HB109 moves forward to final enactment and will require coordination among law enforcement agencies, local advocates and the Attorney General for training and the statewide reporting system.
