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HB 1123COLORADOSession 2026AState BillSigned into law

Enacted

Colorado Restricts Jail Strip Searches, Mandates Body Cameras, and Establishes Whistleblower Protections

Original title: Preventing Sexual Abuse in Jails

Last action · May 27, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Javier Mabrey and 36 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

The new law restricts when county and municipal jails can perform strip searches, requires body-worn camera recording of all strip searches with restricted access, and establishes whistleblower protections for jail staff who report sexual abuse. The measure also mandates reporting requirements to state officials, provides prisoner access to sexual assault advocates, and requires the decertification of peace officers found to have sexually abused a prisoner.

Why it matters

Jail detainees face new limitations on when strip searches can occur, while jail staff gain legal protections for reporting misconduct; simultaneously, local detention facilities must implement video tracking, designate a compliance coordinator, and submit annual search reports to the state.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

detained persons

Detainees are subject to strict limitations on when strip searches can occur, gain rights to be informed of sexual abuse resources, and receive access to sexual assault advocates.

Directly affected

jail staff

Staff members must follow new protocols for recording strip searches, report suspected sexual abuse, and receive whistleblower protections against adverse employment actions for disclosing abuse.

Directly affected

peace officers

Officers face mandatory removal of their P.O.S.T. board certification if found to have sexually abused a prisoner.

Directly affected

local detention facilities

Jails must implement new search restriction policies, record searches on body-worn cameras with restricted access, designate a PREA coordinator, and submit annual search reports to state authorities.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is a jail legally allowed to conduct a strip search on a detained person?

A jail may only conduct a strip search during intake if it is part of facility policy, when two personnel reasonably believe the person is concealing a controlled substance, dangerous instrument, or contraband, or under specific conditions where past security incidents create a substantial likelihood of repeat danger and a written policy authorizes it.

What protections are provided for jail staff who report sexual abuse?

The act creates whistleblower protection policies and a against local detention facilities for staff members who suffer adverse employment actions after disclosing information about sexual abuse or sex-based harassment to a proper supervising authority.

What happens to a peace officer who is found to have sexually abused a prisoner?

Any peace officer found to have sexually abused a prisoner by an administrative law judge, hearing officer, or internal investigation must have their peace officers standards and training board (P.O.S.T. board) certification removed.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

21 actions

May 27, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolled
Governor Signed
May 20, 2026HouseFloor
Signed by the Speaker of the House
May 20, 2026SenateFloor
Signed by the President of the Senate
May 20, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolled
Sent to the Governor
May 7, 2026House
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
May 6, 2026House
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily

Show 15 earlier actions

May 5, 2026SenateFloor
Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
May 4, 2026SenateFloor
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
May 1, 2026Senate
Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/04/2026 - No Amendments
Apr 30, 2026Senate
Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
Apr 28, 2026SenateCommittee
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
Apr 22, 2026SenateCommittee
Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
Apr 8, 2026Senate
Senate Committee on Judiciary Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Apr 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
Apr 2, 2026HouseFloor
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
Apr 1, 2026House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
Mar 31, 2026House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
Mar 24, 2026House
House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
Mar 20, 2026HouseCommittee
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
Mar 11, 2026HouseCommittee
House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
Feb 4, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Mandatory Officer Decertification for Abuse

The legislation ties administrative or internal investigation findings of prisoner sexual abuse directly to the mandatory removal of peace officer certification.

P.O.S.T. board cash fund

Connected Entities

department of law, Colorado attorney general, jail standards advisory committee and 1 more

Organizationdepartment of law“Receives an appropriation of $38,916 from the P.O.S.T. board cash fund”Map →

PersonColorado attorney general“Receives annual strip search reports from local detention facilities”Map →

Organizationjail standards advisory committee“Receives annual strip search reports from local detention facilities”Map →

OrganizationP.O.S.T. board cash fund“Source of appropriated funds for P.O.S.T. board support”Map →

Sources

Open source document

leg.colorado.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz45
Current news / social attention level

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What This Bill Does

Who It Affects

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Discoveries

Mandatory Officer Decertification for Abuse

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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