Colorado officers screen for danger during domestic violence calls

Peace officers conduct and record a lethality assessment when responding to a domestic violence incident. The requirement applies to peace officers certified by the state who respond to and investigate initial domestic violence reports as part of their routine duties. It excludes parole and probation officers. If the assessment indicates high risk, or an officer finds high risk based on all the circumstances, the officer must immediately contact a community-based victim advocate by phone or in person and offer the victim a chance to speak with the advocate. An officer need not conduct the assessment if the victim is unavailable, away from the scene, or incapacitated, or other circumstances make it impossible or impractical. The assessment and reporting requirement begins July 1, 2027.

The Attorney General's Office develops and offers training, and law enforcement agencies ensure their peace officers complete it. The training requirement covers peace officers employed by law enforcement agencies. The office must develop training with a Colorado-based group that advocates for domestic violence survivors. Training must cover giving the assessment and making referrals, including language access. An agency need not provide additional training to an officer who received training on lethality assessments before July 1, 2027. The Attorney General's Office must make training available by June 1, 2027. Agencies must ensure officers complete it beginning July 1, 2027.

The Attorney General's Office and agencies that use assessments report yearly totals, and a state review board evaluates the assessments and referrals. The agency reporting duty applies to each law enforcement agency that uses a lethality assessment. The Attorney General's Office reports the number of domestic violence incidents, assessments, high-risk victims identified, and referrals made. Agencies that use assessments report incident and assessment totals, including how many assessments identified a high-risk victim. The review board submits its evaluation to the House and Senate judiciary committees or successor committees. The Attorney General's Office reports each January beginning in 2028, covering the previous calendar year. Agencies report yearly on the previous calendar year. The review board must submit its evaluation by January 31, 2030.

The law provides that good-faith acts or omissions related to administering an assessment do not create criminal, administrative, or civil liability under this section. The protection applies to any person acting in good faith in connection with a lethality assessment. This protection includes deciding whether to give an assessment, interpreting or using one, and declining to use one.