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 gaining momentum at the Capitol:
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 passed the House Judiciary Committee on February 3rd, 7-4, and will likely be heard on second reading on the House floor next week.
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 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a vote of 5-2.
HB26-1028 Second Language Educational Program for High School Students, creates a diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students. This bill was heard in the House Education Committee on Thursday, February 5th and passed with a vote of 8-5.
SB26-036 Prison Population Management Measures, updates Colorado’s response to prison overcrowding by requiring earlier alerts and ongoing reporting when capacity gets is being reached. It also speeds up safe release options, like expedited parole reviews, earned-time credits, and alternatives to incarceration, to reduce the prison population without compromising public safety. This bill was introduced in the Senate.
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 is awaiting second reading on the House floor, likely next week.
Our Take: HB26-1017 Puts Accountability Where It Belongs
Colorado’s restitution system was created to help victims recover, not to trap families in cycles of poverty after someone has already served their sentence. Yet today, large portions of restitution payments can go to insurance companies instead of directly to victims, turning a tool for healing into long-term financial punishment that follows people long after incarceration. HB26-1017 takes a common-sense step by prioritizing real victims over corporate reimbursement, so restitution works the way it was intended.
Research and reporting have shown that restitution debt is one of the biggest barriers to successful reentry. People leaving incarceration already face steep odds, including housing barriers, limited employment opportunities, supervision fees, and the cost of rebuilding their lives. When restitution functions like lifelong debt collection rather than repair, it delays stability and increases the likelihood that someone falls back into the system. Public safety improves when people can work, support their families, and reintegrate, not when they are buried in unpayable debt.
Kyle Giddings, Deputy Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, shared his story on what this looks like in real life. After taking responsibility for what he did in 2013, he was ordered to pay $78,000 in restitution to an insurance company. After more than a decade of consistent payments, he has paid $54,000. Yet due to years of high interest, he now owes more than he initially did with a remaining balance of about $88,000. Despite a stable job and monthly wage garnishment, the debt continues to grow, demonstrating how restitution can become harmful and permanent punishment rather than accountability.
HB26 1017 is about balance. It maintains accountability while making sure restitution actually supports recovery and stability instead of corporate repayment. For us, this is what smart justice looks like: policies that recognize harm, support victims, and give families a real chance to move forward. Colorado can choose a system focused on restoration instead of permanent punishment.
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What We’re Reading
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