All Roll Calls
Yes: 348 • No: 49
ColoradoHB25-11462025 Regular SessionHouse
Juvenile Detention Bed Cap
Sponsored By: Barbara Kirkmeyer (Republican), Dan Woog (Republican), Judy Amabile (Democratic), Shannon Bird
Signed by Governor
Children & Domestic Matters
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
11 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
Youth service records stay from prosecutors
Beginning July 1, 2025, records about participation in the covered youth deflection program cannot be shared with prosecuting attorneys. This protection covers records about both the youth's and family's participation.
Body cameras tested in youth facilities
Youth Services must test body cameras at one detention facility and one commitment facility. Staff who directly supervise youth must wear cameras while in the facility and interacting with youth. Policies must cover activation, footage retention, privacy, and access for the Child Protection Ombudsman, youth, and lawyers for youth alleging abuse. In January 2028, Human Services must recommend whether to continue and expand the pilot or end it.
Faster case endings for incompetent youth
Courts must immediately dismiss cases after a final finding that a youth is not competent to proceed when the highest charge is a Class 2 misdemeanor, petty offense, drug misdemeanor, or traffic offense. For other covered charges, the law sets deadlines for deciding that competency cannot be restored. Six months applies when the highest charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor or Level 4 drug felony. One year applies to Class 4, 5, or 6 felonies or Level 3 drug felonies. These deadlines do not replace the immediate-dismissal rule.
More funding for youth facility services
For budget year 2025–26, Colorado provides about $6.85 million in general funds to Human Services. This includes about $4.14 million for youth institutional-program administration, assuming 41.0 additional full-time-equivalent positions. About $1.63 million funds medical services, assuming 15.1 additional full-time-equivalent positions; the balance supports the department director's office. Another $122,279 in reused Education Department funds supports youth institutional-program administration, subject to the annual budget's “(I)” notation.
New grants steer youth toward services
Beginning July 1, 2025, Colorado creates a three-year competitive grant program to connect youth with services instead of justice-system responses. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, federally recognized tribes, tribal and urban Indian organizations, and nonprofit-sponsored Native-controlled entities. Except for tribal governments, applicants must be nongovernmental; law enforcement and probation agencies cannot apply. Applicants must serve high-need areas and secure agency commitments to refer youth instead of warnings, citations, or arrests; regional applications need commitments for each jurisdiction. Awards total $200,000 to $1 million per grantee, subject to funding, in three equal yearly payments; later payments require fulfilled duties and reports. Services must be trauma-informed, culturally relevant, gender-responsive, age-appropriate, and supported by research or practice-based evidence. They can include education, careers, restorative justice, mentoring, health care, housing, leadership, and positive social activities. Priorities include early referrals, under-resourced communities, staff with lived justice-system experience, and experience serving at-risk youth. Lawmakers must fund the program annually; its legal authority ends January 1, 2031. For 2025–26, the law provides about $3.15 million: about $2.71 million for grants, $350,000 for assistance and evaluation, and $87,264 for administration, assuming one additional full-time position. Up to 23.5% of annual funding can support administration (3%), evaluation (3%), technical assistance (7.5%), and grants targeting Native American youth (10%); the rest funds grant awards. The program must contract for technical assistance and statewide evaluation, including a common assessment tool and central data system. Evaluation covers justice-system use, detention, placements, school disruption, youth well-being, housing, education, jobs, mentorship, and projected public savings. Grant and outcome information must be posted annually and within 180 days after grants end; legislative reports are due each December 31 starting in 2026. The program may also accept public or private gifts and grants.
Safer placement limits for unrestorable youth
When a court finally finds that a youth cannot regain competency soon, it must create a case plan if needed. It must first order or continue the least restrictive placement consistent with public safety and the youth's best interests. Plans may include treatment, service placements, guardianship petitions, and supervision. An informed supervision model requires a supported finding on the record that the charge relates to its need; other remedies must address community safety. Plans cannot include detention, commitment to Youth Services, county jail, community corrections, the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, or work release. Courts must notify those responsible for the youth or carrying out the plan.
Court follow-up when families skip services
Service coordinators and providers may report whether a youth, parent, or guardian takes part in court-ordered case-plan services. If they do not engage, courts may change the plan or take other legally allowed action. Options include referral to local collaborative management programs or a Human Services investigation. A dependency and neglect petition requires current information showing statutory abuse and a need to protect the youth from further abuse.
Wider access to youth competency records
The law allows covered confidential or privileged information to be shared for youth competency evaluations, restoration, and case planning. Authorized parties include prosecutors, defense lawyers, guardians ad litem, Human Services, evaluators, restoration providers, and courts. Bridges court liaisons also gain access after a court finds a youth incompetent to proceed. This access does not require written consent from the youth or guardian, or a separate court order.
Districts share youth beds and plan releases
The state working group must create ways for districts to share unassigned beds and loan beds to each other. It must also create emergency-release guidelines to keep placements within the statewide cap. Each district must prepare a yearly bed-management plan that considers release and placement guidelines. Starting August 15, 2025, Human Services must report monthly on youth awaiting risk-reducing services and emergency-bed use. Youth Services must publish a statewide placement report by July 1, 2027, covering available placements, costs, staffing barriers, daily rates, and recommendations. The placement-report requirement ends July 1, 2028.
Higher limits on youth detention beds
Colorado raises its regular youth detention bed cap from 215 to 254 for budget year 2025–26. Starting in 2026–27, the cap equals 125% of projected average daily detention population. That projection excludes youth held for acts that would be Class 1 felonies for adults. A state working group divides beds among service areas and judicial districts; districts cannot exceed their shares except through emergency-bed rules. Starting in 2025–26, lawmakers must provide about $1.98 million yearly to support detained youth who could use detention alternatives. The law replaces the old emergency-bed earmark with annual funding of at least about $1.36 million, plus enough to fully fund projected detention-bed needs.
More emergency youth beds with limits
Colorado increases emergency youth detention beds from 22 to 39, outside the regular statewide cap. Court-ordered use requires that detention standards are met, the district's beds are full, and no regular bed is available at the first receiving facility. Districts must recover loaned beds first, unless that requires moving a youth. A required report must also show that services to reduce harm or flight risk are unavailable for a youth already detained. Districts must move youth to regular beds when beds in their allocation open. When a bed opens at another facility in the same service area, the district may let the youth stay.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Barbara Kirkmeyer
Republican • Senate
Dan Woog
Republican • House
Judy Amabile
Democratic • Senate
Shannon Bird
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
Brandi Bradley
Republican • House
Chad Clifford
Democratic • House
Jarvis Caldwell
Republican • House
Julie McCluskie
Democratic • House
Jacque Phillips
Democratic • House
Lori Garcia Sander
Republican • House
Rebecca Keltie
Republican • House
William Lindstedt
Democratic • Senate
Byron Pelton
Republican • Senate
Cathy Kipp
Democratic • Senate
Dafna Michaelson Jenet
Democratic • Senate
Dylan Roberts
Democratic • Senate
Iman Jodeh
Democratic • Senate
Jeff Bridges
Democratic • Senate
James Coleman
Democratic • Senate
Julie Gonzales
Democratic • Senate
Kyle Mullica
Democratic • Senate
Katie Wallace
Democratic • Senate
Lisa Cutter
Democratic • Senate
Lindsey Daugherty
Democratic • Senate
Lisa Frizell
Republican • Senate
Marc Catlin
Republican • Senate
Marc Snyder
Democratic • Senate
Mike Weissman
Democratic • Senate
Rod Pelton
Republican • Senate
Scott Bright
Republican • Senate
Tony Exum
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/5/2025
Senate amendments: Repass
Yes: 55 • No: 9
House vote • 5/5/2025
Senate amendments: Concur
Yes: 58 • No: 6
Senate vote • 5/2/2025
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 31 • No: 3
Senate vote • 5/1/2025
Refer House Bill 25-1146, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar.
Yes: 7 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/30/2025
Refer House Bill 25-1146 to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 8 • No: 1
House vote • 4/23/2025
Third reading: Amd (l.016)
Yes: 57 • No: 8
House vote • 4/23/2025
Third reading: Perm
Yes: 55 • No: 10
House vote • 4/23/2025
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 56 • No: 9
House vote • 4/17/2025
Refer House Bill 25-1146, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 9 • No: 2
House vote • 4/8/2025
Refer House Bill 25-1146, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 12 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
6/2/2025HouseSigned by the Speaker of the House
5/12/2025HouseSigned by the President of the Senate
5/12/2025SenateSent to the Governor
5/12/2025HouseHouse Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
5/5/2025HouseSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
5/2/2025SenateHouse Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
5/2/2025HouseSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
5/1/2025SenateSenate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
5/1/2025SenateSenate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended to Appropriations
4/30/2025SenateIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services
4/24/2025SenateHouse Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
4/23/2025HouseHouse Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
4/21/2025HouseHouse Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
4/17/2025HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
4/17/2025HouseHouse Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations
4/8/2025HouseIntroduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services
1/29/2025House
Bill Text
Engrossed
Final Act
Introduced
Reengrossed
Rerevised
Revised
Signed Act