Welcome to Capitol Week In Review, our newsletter where we’ll cut through the noise to bring you clear, timely updates on what’s moving and what it means for educational equity and efforts to increase opportunities for Colorado families.
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Priority legislative update
One of our justice reform priority bills is officially scheduled for a hearing. Here’s what’s next.
HB26- 1017 Criminal Restitution Prohibited for Insurers, would change how criminal restitution works by removing insurance companies from the definition of a “victim” for restitution purposes. Under the bill, insurers could no longer collect restitution through the criminal courts when they suffer losses; instead, they could pursue those losses through civil lawsuits against offenders if necessary. This bill is scheduled to be heard on February 3rd in the House Judiciary Committee, upon adjournment.
Legislation of Interest
SB26-005 Rights Violation in Immigration Enforcement Remedy would allow people to sue in Colorado state courts if they believe their federal constitutional rights were violated during civil immigration enforcement, even if the person who caused the harm wasn’t acting under “color of law” (the appearance of having legal power). The bill creates a new cause of action with a two-year time limit for starting the case and lets plaintiffs seek legal, equitable, or other appropriate relief for injuries tied to immigration enforcement activities. This bill is scheduled to be heard on February 2nd in the Senate Judiciary Committee at 1:30pm.
HB26-1064 Youthful Offender System Updates would update the state’s youthful offender system, which is a sentencing option focused on rehabilitation for younger justice-involved individuals. The bill revises eligibility and intent language to emphasize trauma-informed care, equitable treatment, and preparation for reentry, adds requirements for evidence-based rehabilitative and life-skills programming, and expands procedural protections and reporting requirements aimed at better supporting juveniles and young adults in the system. This bill was introduced in the House and is scheduled to be heard February 10th at 1:30 pm in the House Health & Human Services Committee.
SB26-036 Prison Population Management Measures focuses on improving how the state manages prison populations when facilities become overcrowded. It requires the Department of Corrections to regularly report on compliance with prison population management mandates and expands the notification process and responsive measures when bed vacancy rates fall below 3% for an extended period, including steps to transition certain inmates, expedite parole reviews, and encourage alternatives to incarceration where appropriate. This bill was introduced in the Senate and is awaiting hearing scheduling in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB26-1050 Optional Individualized Readiness Plan for School would change current education law so that local education providers are no longer required to create an individualized readiness plan for preschool or kindergarten students who score proficient on both a school readiness assessment and a kindergarten reading assessment. Instead, providing such a plan for those students becomes optional rather than mandatory. This bill was heard on January 29th in the House Education Committee and was referred back to the House.
Our Take: Our Communities Are Not a Battlefield
Colorado’s communities should be places of safety, dignity, and belonging. Yet we are collectively witnessing as across the nation, our state, families experience unlawful home entries, racial profiling, wrongful detention including of U.S. citizens, and excessive force during civil immigration enforcement actions. These harms do not exist in isolation. They ripple through neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces, creating fear and instability that undermines community trust. What makes this reality even more troubling is that under current law, people harmed during civil immigration enforcement often have no meaningful way to seek accountability, even when their constitutional rights are violated. When constitutional protections cannot be enforced, they fail the very people they are meant to protect.
This week at the Capitol, lawmakers are considering SB26-005, legislation that draws a clear line around accountability. The bill creates a state level legal pathway for individuals whose constitutional rights are violated during civil immigration enforcement to seek relief and justice. At its core, SB26-005 affirms a fundamental principle that constitutional rights apply to everyone, regardless of immigration status.
During these unpresented times we are living through, Colorado must continue to move toward policies that protect families, uphold constitutional rights, and ensure our communities remain places of safety, dignity, and opportunity for all.
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What We’re Reading
- Stand Colorado, Stand Opposes Bill That Would Weaken Kindergarten Support Plans
- Colorado Sun, Colorado lawmakers reverse course, approve funding for new prison beds
