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ColoradoHB26-11232026 Regular SessionHouse

Preventing Sexual Abuse in Jails

Sponsored By: Javier Mabrey (Democratic), Judy Amabile (Democratic), Katie Stewart (Democratic), Mike Weissman (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More sexual abuse protections for prisoners

Local jails must adopt sexual-abuse reporting and response policies covering victim safety, medical care, evidence preservation, and reporting. They must explain prisoners’ rights under the Prison Rape Elimination Act and provide written help resources at booking in an accessible language. Prisoners who seek confidential sexual assault advocacy services must get timely access to an advocate. Each jail must name a staff coordinator to implement federal standards and help prisoners access advocacy services. Jails must share the coordinator’s contact information with staff, prisoners, and the public, and undergo annual compliance audits.

Job protections for jail abuse reporters

Local jails cannot impose covered job penalties for good-faith reports of suspected sexual abuse or sex-based harassment. Staff must report to the proper supervisor and reasonably believe the information shows abuse or harassment. Protection excludes knowingly false reports, reports made without regard for truth, and reports that bypass required internal procedures. Staff generally must finish applicable internal procedures provided in writing before suing; jails have 180 days to complete them. Lawsuits are generally due within two years of the latest job penalty, with that clock paused during the internal process. Staff may sue when procedures are absent or overdue and seek reinstatement, back pay with interest, damages, equitable relief, and attorney fees and costs.

New limits on jail strip searches

Colorado local jails may strip-search an arrested person at intake only if the jail has an intake strip-search policy. Another allowed basis is when two staff members independently reasonably believe someone is hiding a weapon or controlled substance. Staff must document each search’s reason and results. The law also requires strip-search reporting and sets oversight, enforcement, and remedy rules.

Camera rules protect privacy and evidence

Officers generally cannot wear or activate body cameras during strip searches. The exception requires no available overhead camera and video-and-audio recording of the search space. Outside criminal proceedings, investigators and other decision-makers may infer misconduct from unactivated or tampered-with body or dash cameras. In prosecutions, an officer’s unrecorded account of statements or conduct is presumed inadmissible, though that presumption can be rebutted. These consequences do not apply when an officer turns off a body camera as the strip-search rule requires. They also do not apply to an unknown malfunction if the agency documents the officer’s start-of-shift camera check.

Stronger officer accountability for jail abuse

Colorado’s officer certification board must permanently revoke certification for sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact, or invasion of privacy for sexual gratification involving someone in local jail custody. An administrative law judge, hearing officer, or internal investigation must make the finding. New revocation grounds also cover failure to intervene under section 18-8-805(5) when the incident results in death. They also cover violations of sections 18-8-805(1) or 18-8-805(2)(a)(I) when the incident results in death, with the same finding requirement. For state fiscal year 2026–27, the law provides $38,916 from the officer certification board’s cash fund to the Department of Law. This board-support funding assumes 0.3 additional full-time-equivalent employee and does not provide household payments.

Tighter controls on jail video access

Local jails must electronically log every access to their video, including body-camera footage. Staff cannot access footage off-site and generally need written sheriff approval, with records of what they access and why. Sheriffs must also record what they access and why. Exceptions cover court-case discovery or use, internal investigations, and public-records requests, but electronic access logs remain required. When strip-search footage is stored separately, the written-approval and documentation rules apply only to that footage.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Javier Mabrey

    Democratic • House

  • Judy Amabile

    Democratic • Senate

  • Katie Stewart

    Democratic • House

  • Mike Weissman

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Andrew Boesenecker

    Democratic • House

  • Amy Paschal

    Democratic • House

  • Brianna Titone

    Democratic • House

  • Cecelia Espenoza

    Democratic • House

  • Emily Sirota

    Democratic • House

  • Gretchen Rydin

    Democratic • House

  • Jennifer Bacon

    Democratic • House

  • Jamie Jackson

    Democratic • House

  • Junie Joseph

    Democratic • House

  • Julie McCluskie

    Democratic • House

  • Jacque Phillips

    Democratic • House

  • Kyle Brown

    Democratic • House

  • Kenny Nguyen

    Democratic • House

  • Lorena Garcia

    Democratic • House

  • Lesley Smith

    Democratic • House

  • Michael Carter

    Democratic • House

  • Meg Froelich

    Democratic • House

  • Mandy Lindsay

    Democratic • House

  • Manny Rutinel

    Democratic • House

  • Regina English

    Democratic • House

  • Sean Camacho

    Democratic • House

  • Sheila Lieder

    Democratic • House

  • Tammy Story

    Democratic • House

  • Yara Zokaie

    Democratic • House

  • Sen. A. Benavidez

    Affiliation unavailable

  • Cathy Kipp

    Democratic • Senate

  • Iman Jodeh

    Democratic • Senate

  • James Coleman

    Democratic • Senate

  • Julie Gonzales

    Democratic • Senate

  • Katie Wallace

    Democratic • Senate

  • Lisa Cutter

    Democratic • Senate

  • Nick Hinrichsen

    Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 225 • No: 84

House vote • 5/7/2026

Senate amendments: Repass

Yes: 42 • No: 22

House vote • 5/7/2026

Senate amendments: Concur

Yes: 42 • No: 22

Senate vote • 5/5/2026

Third reading: Bill

Yes: 27 • No: 8

Senate vote • 5/5/2026

Third reading: Amend (l.025)

Yes: 35 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/28/2026

Refer House Bill 26-1123 to the Committee of the Whole.

Yes: 7 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/22/2026

Refer House Bill 26-1123, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.

Yes: 5 • No: 2

House vote • 4/2/2026

Third reading: Bill

Yes: 44 • No: 20

House vote • 3/20/2026

Adopt amendment J.001

Yes: 8 • No: 3

House vote • 3/20/2026

Refer House Bill 26-1123, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.

Yes: 8 • No: 3

House vote • 3/11/2026

Refer House Bill 26-1123, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.

Yes: 7 • No: 4

Actions Timeline

  1. Governor Signed

    5/27/2026House

  2. Signed by the Speaker of the House

    5/20/2026House

  3. Signed by the President of the Senate

    5/20/2026Senate

  4. Sent to the Governor

    5/20/2026House

  5. House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass

    5/7/2026House

  6. House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily

    5/6/2026House

  7. Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor

    5/5/2026Senate

  8. Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor

    5/4/2026Senate

  9. Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/04/2026 - No Amendments

    5/1/2026Senate

  10. Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

    4/30/2026Senate

  11. Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

    4/28/2026Senate

  12. Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations

    4/22/2026Senate

  13. Senate Committee on Judiciary Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed

    4/8/2026Senate

  14. Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary

    4/6/2026Senate

  15. House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

    4/2/2026House

  16. House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

    4/1/2026House

  17. House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor

    3/31/2026House

  18. House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

    3/24/2026House

  19. House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole

    3/20/2026House

  20. House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations

    3/11/2026House

  21. Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary

    2/4/2026House

Bill Text

  • Engrossed

    PDF

  • Final Act

    PDF

  • House Appropriations Preamend

    PDF

  • House Judiciary Preamend

    PDF

  • Introduced

    PDF

  • Reengrossed

    PDF

  • Rerevised

    PDF

  • Revised

    PDF

  • Senate Judiciary Preamend

    PDF

  • Signed Act

    PDF

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