HB1024 expands Colorado’s “safe haven” or voluntary relinquishment law by increasing the age of a child who may be safely and anonymously surrendered from 72 hours old to 30 days old or younger. Under the bill, a parent may voluntarily deliver the child to a firefighter at a fire station or to staff at a hospital or community clinic emergency center, and those recipients must take temporary physical custody without a court order if the child meets the age requirement.
The bill also updates Colorado’s child abuse statute to provide an affirmative defense for a parent charged with child endangerment when the parent safely, reasonably, and knowingly relinquished a child 30 days old or younger under the safe haven procedure. In addition, it requires age-appropriate instruction about safe haven laws in comprehensive human sexuality education and comprehensive health education curricula, ensuring students are informed about the revised relinquishment option. The act is set to take effect after the standard post-session period, absent a referendum petition.
Impact
HB1024 would amend multiple sections of Colorado law, primarily C.R.S. 19-3-304.5 and 18-6-401, to extend safe-haven protections and related defenses to infants up to 30 days old. It also modifies education statutes, C.R.S. 22-1-128 and 22-25-103, to require that safe haven laws be included in age-appropriate health and sexuality instruction. The bill affects parents considering relinquishment, firefighters, hospital and clinic emergency staff, child welfare systems, and school districts that provide the relevant curriculum.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House Health & Human Services Committee 13-0, passed the House 61-0, advanced from the Senate Health & Human Services Committee 5-0 with a recommendation for the consent calendar, and passed the Senate 34-0. The unanimous votes suggest general agreement that expanding the safe haven window is a protective measure for infants and families in crisis.
Contention
No major contention is reflected in the available committee or floor vote record. The main policy choice in the bill is whether to expand the safe-haven age limit from 72 hours to 30 days, which could raise questions about balancing child safety, parental options, and the scope of emergency relinquishment procedures. The education mandate may also be a point of interest for school districts, but no recorded debate or dissent is provided in the materials.