Colorado House Bill 1250
Session 2026A
Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture
Active
Passed Senate on May 13, 2026
Sponsors
5 Sponsors
J. Bacon
K. DeGraaf
S. Bright
K. Wallace
M. Baisley
First Action
Feb 18, 2026
Latest Action
May 13, 2026
Origin Chamber
House
Type
Bill
Bill Number
1250
State
Colorado
Session
2026A
J. Bacon
grade
Sponsor
K. DeGraaf
grade
Sponsor
K. Wallace
grade
Sponsor
M. Baisley
grade
Sponsor
S. Bright
grade
Sponsor
A. Benavidez
Cosponsor
B. Bradley
Cosponsor
B. Marshall
Cosponsor
B. Titone
Cosponsor
C. Kipp
Cosponsor
C. Kolker
Cosponsor
E. Sirota
Cosponsor
I. Jodeh
Cosponsor
J. Amabile
Cosponsor
J. Bridges
Cosponsor
J. Carson
Cosponsor
J. Coleman
Cosponsor
J. Gonzales
Cosponsor
J. Mabrey
Cosponsor
K. Brown
Cosponsor
K. Nguyen
Cosponsor
L. Frizell
Cosponsor
L. García
Cosponsor
L. Zamora Wilson
Cosponsor
M. Brooks
Cosponsor
M. Lindsay
Cosponsor
M. Snyder
Cosponsor
M. Soper
Cosponsor
M. Weissman
Cosponsor
N. Hinrichsen
Cosponsor
N. Ricks
Cosponsor
R. English
Cosponsor
R. Gonzalez
Cosponsor
R. Keltie
Cosponsor
S. Lieder
Cosponsor
S. Luck
Cosponsor
S. Slaugh
Cosponsor
T. Story
Cosponsor
Y. Zokaie
Cosponsor
Motion Text
BILL
House Roll Call Votes
Amabile
Yes
Baisley
Yes
Ball
Yes
Benavidez
Yes
Bridges
Yes
Bright
Yes
Carson
Yes
Catlin
Yes
Coleman
Yes
Cutter
Yes
Danielson
Yes
Daugherty
Yes
Exum
Yes
Frizell
Yes
Gonzales J.
Yes
Hinrichsen
Yes
Jodeh
Yes
Kipp
Yes
Kirkmeyer
Yes
Kolker
Yes
Lindstedt
No
Liston
Yes
Marchman
Yes
Mullica
Yes
Pelton B.
Yes
Pelton R.
Yes
President
Yes
Rich
Yes
Roberts
Yes
Rodriguez
Yes
Simpson
Yes
Snyder
Yes
Sullivan
No
Wallace
Yes
Weissman
Yes
Zamora Wilson
Yes
Summary
The bill clarifies an existing requirement for the criminal conviction of an owner by requiring that one or more criminal charges must be brought as a prerequisite to any nuisance abatement or forfeiture proceeding. Existing law provides an exception to the conviction requirement for noninnocent owners who are not subject to criminal charges that no criminal conviction is necessary of the nonowner criminal defendant if the plaintiff proves its case by clear and convincing evidence that the property subject to the forfeiture proceeding is traceable proceeds of the charged offense or related criminal activity . The bill repeals clarifies this exception to first require a conviction of the nonowner criminal defendant before the noninnocent owner's property may be forfeited , while retaining other various exceptions that allow forfeiture actions to proceed against the interest of a claimant. The bill establishes a right for indigent civil asset forfeiture defendants to access forfeiture defense counsel and creates a procedure for the appointment of forfeiture defense counsel in nuisance abatement and forfeiture proceedings. The bill creates a forfeiture counsel defense fund (fund) , in the care of the state court administrator (administrator) , to pay for appointed forfeiture defense counsel who are authorized to represent persons against whom a nuisance abatement or forfeiture proceeding has been filed in connection with criminal charges. The fund is capped at $500,000, and starting in state fiscal year 2027-28, no general fund money is allowed to finance the fund. The bill instructs the administrator to enter into a contract for services with a private contractor who regularly provides legal services for indigent clients or litigants to provide a legal defense to a civil asset forfeiture proceeding. The private contractor is subject to certain reporting requirements. The bill transfers $1.1 million any unexpended and unencumbered money from the law enforcement community services grant program fund to the forfeiture counsel defense fund. The bill alters the disposition of property and proceeds ordered forfeited in a nuisance abatement or forfeiture action. Currently, forfeited property and proceeds are applied first toward restitution and cost recovery for a list of stakeholders, and 50% of the remainder is granted to the local governmental body with authority over the seizing agency, 25% of the remainder is granted to the local behavioral health administrative services organization, and 25% of the remainder is granted to the law enforcement community services grant program fund. The bill amends the disposition of the remainder so that 50% is granted to the local governmental body with authority over the seizing agency, 25% is granted to the forfeiture counsel defense fund, and 25% is granted to the law enforcement community services grant program fund local behavioral health administrative services organization. The bill appropriates $1.1 million $556,750 to the judicial department from the forfeiture counsel defense fund and $55,000 to the department of local affairs for civil asset forfeiture portal administration.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Committee Report for Appropriations on 05/12/2026
Committee Report for Appropriations on 05/08/2026
Committee Report for Finance on 05/04/2026
Committee Report for Judiciary on 04/21/2026
Sort by most recent
05/13/2026
Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
05/12/2026
Senate
Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
05/12/2026
Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/12/2026
Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
05/12/2026
House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
05/11/2026
House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
05/08/2026
House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
05/04/2026
House
House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/21/2026
House
House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Finance
02/18/2026
House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
Sources
CO Legislature
Record Created
Feb 19, 2026 4:14:36 PM
Record Updated
May 13, 2026 10:17:06 PM