Concerning requirements for youth sports personnel that improve the safety of the participants.
SB 26-100 would expand safety and screening requirements for adults involved in youth sports in Colorado, including both youth sports organizations and local governments that run youth athletic activities. The bill requires at least one adult with current first aid, CPR, and AED certification to be present at each youth athletic activity, with a limited exemption for activities conducted entirely by volunteers for training purposes only. It also defines “youth athletic activity,” “chaperone,” and related terms to clarify who is covered.
The bill broadens background-check rules for coaches and chaperones. It requires seven-year criminal history checks before a coach or chaperone starts work or takes an overnight trip, and every three years thereafter, with additional international background checks for people who have lived outside the United States for more than 180 days in the relevant period. It also expands disqualifying offenses to include crimes of violence and certain other violent crimes, and it requires supervision for some volunteers or others who are not subject to a full check. For local governments, the bill adds a separate rule for volunteer coaches and requires annual re-checking for those without a recent background check.
The bill also creates a civil cause of action for failure to perform a required youth sports background check. A plaintiff would need to show more than ordinary negligence: the failure must reflect deliberate indifference or reckless disregard, or involve a person who should have been disqualified or supervised, and the individual must have committed specified serious offenses against a child. This provision would add potential liability for youth sports organizations and local governments that do not comply with the screening and supervision requirements.
Overall, the bill appears aimed at strengthening child safety and reducing the risk of abuse or violence in youth sports settings. The available legislative history shows no recorded votes or committee testimony, but the bill was postponed indefinitely in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, suggesting it did not advance. The posture of the bill and its safety-focused framing indicate support for stronger protections, while the lack of recorded debate leaves the specific level of support or opposition unclear.
The main points of contention likely involve the administrative burden and liability exposure created by the bill. Youth sports organizations and local governments would face more frequent and more detailed background checks, including international screening, as well as new certification and supervision obligations. The new private right of action and the expansion of disqualifying offenses may also raise concerns about cost, implementation, volunteer recruitment, and the scope of who must be screened or supervised.
SB 26-100 would amend Colorado statutes governing youth sports organizations and local government youth athletic programs, primarily in Title 26.5 and Title 29. It would impose new first aid/CPR/AED presence requirements, expand criminal background-check obligations for coaches and chaperones, add international background-check requirements in some cases, broaden disqualifying offenses, and create supervision rules for certain volunteers. It would also add a new civil cause of action in Title 13 for failure to conduct required background checks, increasing potential legal exposure for covered entities.
The bill is framed as a participant-safety measure and appears to have been introduced with a protective, child-safety-oriented purpose. However, the only recorded legislative outcome provided is that it was postponed indefinitely in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, which suggests the measure did not receive enough support to advance. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided material, the precise mix of support and opposition is not documented, but the bill’s fate indicates at least some resistance or unresolved concerns.
Likely points of contention include the cost and administrative complexity of requiring recurring seven-year background checks, international checks, and CPR/AED certification across youth sports programs. Another likely issue is the bill’s expansion of liability through a new civil cause of action, which could be viewed as increasing litigation risk for schools, municipalities, and nonprofit sports organizations. The scope of disqualifying offenses and the supervision requirements for occasional volunteers may also have been debated, especially by organizations that rely heavily on volunteers and limited staffing.