# Colorado HB25-1275: Forensic Science Integrity

Colorado HB25-1275, Forensic Science Integrity, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Lisa Frizell (Republican), Matt Soper (Republican), Mike Weissman (Democratic) and 1 others; status signed, last action 2025-06-02 (Governor Signed) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1275-2025A
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Colorado HB25-1275
- State: Colorado
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Forensic Science Integrity
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-19
- Last action: 2025-06-02, Governor Signed
- Sponsors: Lisa Frizell (Republican), Matt Soper (Republican), Mike Weissman (Democratic), Yara Zokaie (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 50
- Subjects: Courts & Judicial, Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 6 (133 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 8

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Defendants get lawyers and lab evidence: benefit, medium. Defendants gain a right to a lawyer for wrongful-action claims and appeals after notice or a sufficient showing of an investigation. The investigated employee must have worked on their case; qualifying low-income defendants can request appointed counsel before filing a petition. Courts must appoint…
- Proven lab wrongdoing requires new trials: benefit, medium. Courts must hold an evidence hearing when alleged facts, if true, show lab wrongful action mattered to the case. Defendants must prove the wrongful action and its importance were more likely than not. Courts consider the lab evidence's role, independent evidence of guilt, and whether the outcome li…
- Colorado courts receive implementation funding: benefit, low. The law provides Colorado state courts $140,443 from the general fund for budget year 2025–26 to implement the act. This includes $16,840 for court administration capital costs and $123,603 for trial court programs. The funding assumes 1.1 additional full-time-equivalent trial court staff positions…
- Crime labs must report and investigate misconduct: benefit, low. The law covers deliberate misconduct and major failures in lab standards, called wrongful action; county coroner labs are excluded. Employees must report wrongful action in writing within 7 days, and supervisors must notify directors within 72 hours. For information received on or after July 1, 202…
- Crime victims get lab investigation notices: benefit, low. When charges are filed and trial has not begun, prosecutors must tell victims about related lab investigations and alleged wrongdoing. Notice must arrive as soon as possible, within 91 days after the prosecutor receives the lab director's notice. If trial starts sooner, notice is required before tr…
- Defendants get notices about lab investigations: benefit, low. Prosecutors must notify affected defendants when lab investigations begin and when final reports find wrongful action. Notices are generally due as soon as possible, within 91 days of receiving the applicable notice or report; earlier disclosure rules still apply. Prosecutors must also notify defen…
- Defendants gain claims with filing deadlines: mixed, medium. Convicted people can seek review after receiving notice or filing a pleading naming an investigated lab employee who worked on their case. This route is available apart from other post-conviction options and covers qualifying events before, on, or after the law's effective date. Filing periods star…
- Lab records preserved, public access limited: mixed, low. Crime labs must preserve wrongful-action records through the final resolution of affected cases and related civil cases, including potential litigation. Investigation notices and reports are criminal justice records, so Colorado's release rules apply rather than guaranteeing access to every record.…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Lisa Frizell (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Matt Soper (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Mike Weissman (Democratic), Senate
- Sponsor: Yara Zokaie (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Amy Paschal (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Alex Valdez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Bob Marshall (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Brianna Titone (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Chad Clifford (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Cecelia Espenoza (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Eliza Hamrick (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Emily Sirota (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jennifer Bacon (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jamie Jackson (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Junie Joseph (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Javier Mabrey (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Julie McCluskie (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kyle Brown (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Katie Stewart (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Lorena Garcia (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Michael Carter (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Meg Froelich (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Mandy Lindsay (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Meghan Lukens (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Manny Rutinel (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Naquetta Ricks (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Rebekah Stewart (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Rep. S. Bird
- Cosponsor: Sean Camacho (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sheila Lieder (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Tammy Story (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: William Lindstedt (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Barbara Kirkmeyer (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Byron Pelton (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Judy Amabile (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: John Carson (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Julie Gonzales (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Kyle Mullica (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Katie Wallace (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lisa Cutter (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lindsey Daugherty (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Larry Liston (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mark Baisley (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Matt Ball (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Marc Snyder (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Rod Pelton (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Tony Exum (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Tom Sullivan (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-30 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 35 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-29 | Senate | Refer House Bill 25-1275 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. | pass | 6 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-23 | Senate | Refer House Bill 25-1275 to the Committee on Appropriations. | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-16 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 65 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-15 | House | Refer House Bill 25-1275, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 9 | 2 |   |
| 2025-03-26 | House | Refer House Bill 25-1275, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. | pass | 11 | 0 |   |

## Actions (14)

- 2025-06-02: Governor Signed (House)
- 2025-05-15: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House)
- 2025-05-15: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate)
- 2025-05-15: Sent to the Governor (House)
- 2025-04-30: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Appropriations (Senate)
- 2025-04-21: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary (Senate)
- 2025-04-16: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House)
- 2025-04-15: House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (House)
- 2025-04-15: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee (House)
- 2025-03-26: House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations (House)
- 2025-02-19: Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary (House)

## Bill text

- Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84980/download)
- Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84976/download)
- House Appropriations Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84983/download)
- House Judiciary Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84982/download)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84981/download)
- Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84979/download)
- Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84977/download)
- Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84978/download)
- Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/40873/download)

## Related bills

- SB25-279: Colorado Code of Military Justice Updates (signed)
- HB25-1234: Utility Consumer Protection (signed)
- HB25-1307: Updating Technical References in Education Law (signed)
- SB25-163: Battery Stewardship Programs (signed)
- SB25-261: Property Tax Deferral Program Administration (signed)
- SB25-167: Invest State Funds to Benefit Communities (signed)

## Sources
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84980/download)
- [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84976/download)
- [House Appropriations Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84983/download)
- [House Judiciary Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84982/download)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84981/download)
- [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84979/download)
- [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84977/download)
- [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/84978/download)
- [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/40873/download)

## Related
- [SB25-279: Colorado Code of Military Justice Updates](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-279-2025A)
- [HB25-1234: Utility Consumer Protection](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1234-2025A)
- [HB25-1307: Updating Technical References in Education Law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1307-2025A)
- [SB25-163: Battery Stewardship Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-163-2025A)
- [SB25-261: Property Tax Deferral Program Administration](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-261-2025A)
- [SB25-167: Invest State Funds to Benefit Communities](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB25-167-2025A)
- [Colorado bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado/bills)
- [Colorado state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB25-1275-2025A (as of 2026-10-16).