All Roll Calls
Yes: 330 • No: 5
ColoradoSB26-0152026 Regular SessionSenate
Commercial Sexual Activity with a Child Offenses
Sponsored By: Byron Pelton (Republican), Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Jarvis Caldwell (Republican), Monica Duran (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 8 costs, 1 mixed.
Compensation coverage includes child exploitation victims
Beginning July 1, 2026, Colorado's crime-victim compensation law recognizes soliciting, inducing, or engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child. It also recognizes specified versions of these offenses from before that date. Victims of covered offenses can qualify for compensation consideration. This change does not guarantee an award or set a payment amount.
Parenting reviews add safeguards and costs
Parenting-time rules now cover convictions for soliciting, keeping a place for, inducing, or engaging in child commercial sexual activity. For comparable convictions from another state or jurisdiction, courts must order a Colorado sex-offense-specific evaluation and parental risk assessment. Courts must consider both reviews when deciding parenting time or parental contact, adding child-safety safeguards. The convicted party must pay the evaluation and assessment costs.
Added penalties and weapon bans for offenders
Beginning July 1, 2026, listed child commercial-sex offenses and their older versions count under Colorado's habitual-sex-offender law. Attempts, conspiracies, and solicitations also count. Listed offenses and related attempts, conspiracies, solicitations, coercion, or intimidation also fall within racketeering activity. A felony conviction or adjudication for keeping a place for child commercial sexual activity bars possessing, using, or carrying firearms and other covered weapons. The weapon ban also covers the former version of that offense.
Child sex convictions carry continuing restrictions
Colorado's sex-offense and unlawful-sexual-behavior lists include specified renamed child commercial-sex offenses and their versions from before July 1, 2026. Beginning July 1, 2026, the child-sex-crime definition used for registration includes listed offenses, attempts, conspiracies, and solicitations. Engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child also counts as a sex offense for sex-offender sentencing. The unlawful-sex-offense definition includes specified commercial-sex offenses and class 3 or class 4 internet luring, including attempts, conspiracies, and solicitations. These updates preserve legal coverage for both old and new offense names.
Child sex defendants face fewer alternatives
Knowingly soliciting a child or someone to procure a child, arranging a meeting, or directing someone to facilitate commercial sexual activity with a child is a class 3 felony. A probation sentence requires 364 days in county jail, with credit for prior custody. Sentence deductions and specified sentencing alternatives are unavailable during that period. The law encourages, but does not require, prison for at least the standard class 3 sentencing-range minimum. Beginning July 1, 2026, people accused of these child commercial-sex offenses cannot enter diversion programs in jurisdictions receiving state diversion money.
Child sex laws cover more conduct
Colorado uses “commercial sexual activity with a child” to describe the conduct covered by its revised child-sex laws. A child is anyone under 18. Commercial sexual activity involves something of value given, promised, or received in exchange for sexual activity. Covered activity includes sexual contact, intrusion, penetration, specified child sexual exploitation, and obscene performances.
Prison required for child commercial-sex offenses
People controlling a sheltered or secluded place commit a class 3 felony by knowingly allowing child commercial sexual activity there. The rule also covers continued use after learning facts that should reasonably indicate that activity. Knowingly living partly or wholly on money or other value a child gets through commercial sexual activity is class 3. Engaging in that activity with a child who is not the person's spouse, or entering or staying somewhere with that intent, is class 3. Each conviction requires state prison for at least the minimum of the standard class 3 sentencing range.
Prison required for recruiting exploited children
For money or another thing of value, using menacing or criminal intimidation to induce a child into commercial sexual activity is a class 2 felony. Knowingly arranging or offering to arrange such a situation for something of value is a class 3 felony. Intentionally providing, transporting, or making a child available to another person for that activity, including offers, is also class 3. Inducing a child through words or actions is class 3, except conduct covered by the separate threat-based pandering offense. Each conviction requires state prison for at least the minimum of the standard sentencing range for its felony class.
Tougher sentences for online child luring
Internet luring is generally a class 5 felony, or class 4 when intended meetings involve sexual exploitation or sexual contact. Luring with intent to meet for commercial sexual activity with a child is a class 3 felony. That conviction requires state prison for at least the minimum of the standard class 3 sentencing range. Beginning July 1, 2026, class 3 luring joins class 4 luring in the sex-offender sentencing definition. Trial procedures governing evidence of victims' or witnesses' sexual conduct or prior false reports also extend to class 3 luring.
Child exploitation sites face nuisance actions
Buildings, parts of buildings, vehicles, and real property used for listed child commercial-sex offenses are class 1 public nuisances. Covered offenses include soliciting, pandering, keeping a place, pimping, and inducing the activity. The law also retains coverage for specified child-prostitution offenses from before July 1, 2026. This classification allows civil nuisance and abatement actions against the property, affecting owners and users.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Byron Pelton
Republican • Senate
Dylan Roberts
Democratic • Senate
Jarvis Caldwell
Republican • House
Monica Duran
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
Andrew Boesenecker
Democratic • House
Ava Flanell
Republican • House
Anthony Hartsook
Republican • House
Bob Marshall
Democratic • House
Carlos Barron
Republican • House
Chad Clifford
Democratic • House
Chris Richardson
Republican • House
Dusty Johnson
Republican • House
Dan Woog
Republican • House
Julie McCluskie
Democratic • House
Kyle Brown
Democratic • House
Kenny Nguyen
Democratic • House
Mandy Lindsay
Democratic • House
Meghan Lukens
Democratic • House
Manny Rutinel
Democratic • House
Ryan Gonzalez
Republican • House
Rebecca Keltie
Republican • House
Ron Weinberg
Republican • House
Sheila Lieder
Democratic • House
Ty Winter
Republican • House
Sen. A. Benavidez
Affiliation unavailable
Barbara Kirkmeyer
Republican • Senate
Chris Kolker
Democratic • Senate
Cleave Simpson
Republican • Senate
Jeff Bridges
Democratic • Senate
John Carson
Republican • Senate
James Coleman
Democratic • Senate
Jessie Danielson
Democratic • Senate
Janice Marchman
Democratic • Senate
Janice Rich
Republican • Senate
Kyle Mullica
Democratic • Senate
Lisa Frizell
Republican • Senate
Larry Liston
Republican • Senate
Lynda Zamora Wilson
Republican • Senate
Mark Baisley
Republican • Senate
Marc Catlin
Republican • Senate
Marc Snyder
Democratic • Senate
Rod Pelton
Republican • Senate
Scott Bright
Republican • Senate
Tony Exum
Democratic • Senate
Tom Sullivan
Democratic • Senate
William Lindstedt
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 5/13/2026
House amendments: Repass
Yes: 35 • No: 0
Senate vote • 5/13/2026
House amendments: Concur
Yes: 35 • No: 0
House vote • 5/11/2026
Third reading: Perm
Yes: 65 • No: 0
House vote • 5/11/2026
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 64 • No: 1
House vote • 5/11/2026
Third reading: Amd (l.017)
Yes: 65 • No: 0
House vote • 4/29/2026
Refer Senate Bill 26-015, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 11 • No: 0
House vote • 4/29/2026
Adopt amendment L.007 (Attachment A).
Yes: 8 • No: 3
Senate vote • 4/20/2026
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 34 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/17/2026
Refer Senate Bill 26-015, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 7 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/11/2026
Refer Senate Bill 26-015, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 6 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
6/3/2026HouseSigned by the President of the Senate
5/22/2026SenateSigned by the Speaker of the House
5/22/2026HouseSent to the Governor
5/22/2026HouseSenate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
5/13/2026SenateHouse Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
5/11/2026HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
5/9/2026HouseHouse Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
5/4/2026HouseHouse Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
4/29/2026HouseSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
4/20/2026SenateIntroduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
4/20/2026HouseSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
4/17/2026SenateSenate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
4/17/2026SenateSenate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
2/11/2026SenateSenate Committee on Judiciary Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
2/9/2026SenateIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
1/14/2026Senate
Bill Text
Engrossed
Final Act
House Judiciary Preamend
Introduced
Reengrossed
Rerevised
Revised
Senate Appropriations Preamend
Senate Judiciary Preamend
Signed Act
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