First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 25-0832.02 Owen Hatch x2698
SENATE BILL 25-170
Senate Committees House Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING A STATE -FUNDED RESPONSE TO GENETIC TESTING101
BACKLOGS.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov/
.)
Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires the Colorado bureau
of investigation (CBI) to spend specifically appropriated money on
backlogged DNA evidence and sexual assault kit tests. Additionally, the
bill allows the CBI to contract with external labs to perform the testing.
The bill requires CBI to create a dashboard on the department of
public safety's website to update the public on the backlog. CBI shall
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Kirkmeyer, Bridges
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Bird and Sirota, Taggart
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. provide the general assembly with updates on the backlog every 30 days
from March 10, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-33.5-432 as2
follows:3
24-33.5-432. Appropriation - DNA retesting - sexual assault4
kit backlog - reporting requirements - definition. (1) T
HE THREE5
MILLION DOLLAR APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ,6
IN TURN APPROPRIATED TO THE BUREAU WITH THE LINE ITEM "DNA7
TESTING AND REIMBURSEMENT " IN HOUSE BILL 24-1430, PASSED ON8
A
PRIL 29, 2024, REMAINS AVAILABLE TO THE BUREAU UNTIL JUNE 30,9
2026.10
(2) T
HE BUREAU MAY ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH EXTERNAL11
TESTING LABORATORIES OR AGENCIES THAT CONFORM TO THE CURRENT12
VERSION OF ISO/IEC 17025 REQUIREMENTS, THE APPROPRIATE QUALITY13
ASSURANCE STANDARDS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF14
INVESTIGATION, AND FORENSIC-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, AND ARE15
ACCREDITED BY AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS SIGNATORY TO THE16
I
NTERNATIONAL LABORATORY ACCREDITATION COOPERATION MUTUAL17
R
ECOGNITION ARRANGEMENTS FOR TESTING LABORATORIES, TO PERFORM18
DNA
RETESTING ON CRIMINAL CASES INVOLVED IN THE BUREAU19
LABORATORY MISCONDUCT THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN 2023.20
(3) T
HE BUREAU MAY ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH EXTERNAL21
TESTING LABORATORIES OR AGENCIES THAT CONFORM TO THE CURRENT22
VERSION OF ISO/IEC 17025 REQUIREMENTS, THE APPROPRIATE QUALITY23
ASSURANCE STANDARDS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF24
INVESTIGATION, AND FORENSIC-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, AND ARE25
SB25-170-2- ACCREDITED BY AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS SIGNATORY TO THE1
I
NTERNATIONAL LABORATORY ACCREDITATION COOPERATION MUTUAL2
R
ECOGNITION ARRANGEMENTS FOR TESTING LABORATORIES, TO PERFORM3
TESTING ON EVIDENCE IN THE BUREAU 'S FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE4
BACKLOG, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TESTING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT5
KITS.6
(4) T
HE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHALL :7
(a) P
ROVIDE A PROGRESS REPORT TO THE JOINT BUDGET8
COMMITTEE BY APRIL 15, 2025, DETAILING STEPS THE BUREAU HAS TAKEN9
TO RESOLVE THE TESTING BACKLOG ISSUE FOR FORENSIC MEDICAL10
EVIDENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS ;11
(b) U
TILIZE THE APPROPRIATION DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1) OF12
THIS SECTION TO PRIORITIZE AND ACCELERATE TESTING OF THE BACKLOG13
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS;14
(c) D
ESIGN AND IMPLEMENT, WITHIN NINETY DAYS AFTER THE15
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, A PUBLIC-FACING DASHBOARD ON THE16
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY 'S WEBSITE THAT PROVIDES REPORTS ON17
THE FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT BACKLOGS ,18
INCLUDING THE TOTAL CASELOAD NUMBERS SUBJECT TO THE BACKLOG ,19
TOTAL FISCAL YEAR CASELOAD NUMBERS SUBJECT TO THE BACKLOG , THE20
NUMBER OF FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE TESTS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT21
KIT TESTS COMPLETED IN THE PREVIOUS THIRTY DAYS , THE NUMBER OF22
NEW CASES RECEIVED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS THIRTY DAYS , AND THE23
CURRENT AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIMES TO CONDUCT A FORENSIC24
MEDICAL EVIDENCE TEST OR A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT TEST . THE25
DEPARTMENT SHALL UPDATE THE DASHBOARD AT LEAST EVERY THIRTY26
DAYS.27
SB25-170
-3- (d) PROVIDE EMAIL UPDATES EVERY THIRTY DAYS BEGINNING1
M
ARCH 10, 2025, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026, TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY2
REGARDING THE FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT3
BACKLOGS, WHICH INCLUDE:4
(I) T
HE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES WITH PENDING FORENSIC5
MEDICAL EVIDENCE TESTS;6
(II) T
HE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES WITH PENDING SEXUAL ASSAULT7
KIT TESTS;8
(III) T
HE CURRENT AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME FOR A FORENSIC9
MEDICAL TEST;10
(IV) T
HE CURRENT AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME FOR A SEXUAL11
ASSAULT KIT TEST;12
(V) T
HE NUMBER OF TESTS THE BUREAU 'S INTERNAL LAB HAS13
COMPLETED IN THE PREVIOUS THIRTY DAYS ;14
(VI) T
HE NUMBER OF TESTS EXTERNAL CONTRACTED LABS HAVE15
COMPLETED IN THE PREVIOUS THIRTY DAYS ;16
(VII) T
HE ANTICIPATED TIMELINE FOR THE BUREAU TO ACHIEVE AN17
AVERAGE NINETY-DAY TURNAROUND TIME FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT18
TESTS;19
(VIII) U
PDATES ON THE BUREAU'S LAB ANALYST STAFFING LEVELS;20
AND21
(IX) I
NFORMATION OR UPDATES ON DIFFICULTIES CONTRACTING22
WITH EXTERNAL LABS THAT MAY AFFECT THE BUREAU 'S ANTICIPATED23
TESTING CAPACITY, VOLUME, TURNAROUND EXPECTATIONS , OR OTHER24
INFORMATION EXPLAINING WHY THE RESULTS VARY FROM THE PROJECTED25
CASELOAD TIMELINE REFLECTED IN THE FEBRUARY 10, 2025, BUREAU26
WHITEPAPER DOCUMENT PROVIDED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY .27
SB25-170
-4- (5) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE1
REQUIRES, "FORENSIC MEDICAL EVIDENCE" INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED2
TO, DNA.3
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,4
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate5
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for6
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state7
institutions.8
SB25-170
-5-