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DENVER, CO – The House today passed bipartisan legislation to increase transparency at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and help address the backlog of sexual assault evidence kits awaiting testing.
“Sexual assault evidence kits need to be tested promptly, but a considerable CBI backlog means Coloradans are waiting longer to receive the justice they deserve,” said JBC Vice Chair Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “The public health and safety of our community relies upon CBI clearing the forensic evidence backlog. This bill increases department transparency and encourages CBI to not only clear the backlog, but keep the public up-to-date on its progress.”
“The backlog of sexual assault evidence kits isn’t just a number – it’s 1,407 people who are awaiting justice,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “Every day that we ask survivors to wait for their turn is a hard reminder that they’re not prioritized in Colorado’s criminal justice system. This bill is a step forward to clearing the CBI forensic evidence backlog and holding the department accountable, survivors are counting on it.”
“Coloradans are waiting several months for their sexual assault evidence kits to be tested – this cannot continue to happen,” said JBC Member Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “This bill aims to accelerate the testing timeline for sexual assault evidence kits by allowing the department to use contract labs but also establishes important, public facing accountability measures within the CBI.”
SB25-170, sponsored by JBC members Reps. Bird and Sirota, passed the House by a vote of 60-0. This bill would allow CBI to rollover $3 million allocated for 2024-25 to 2025-26 for the purpose of forensic evidence testing. The goal is to accelerate the testing of sexual assault kits. The bill also permits CBI to use contract labs to test kits and requires the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) to provide regular and detailed updates to the general assembly of its forensic testing progress every thirty days beginning this month through June 2026.
The monthly updates must include the following information:
The number of cases with pending tests by category.
Current turnaround time by category.
The number of cases completed internally and by contract labs in the past 30 days.
The anticipated timeline to bring the turnaround time down below 90 days
Updates on CBI lab analyst staffing levels.
Any new information related to lab contracts that may impact testing or timelines.
To improve department transparency, CBI must create a dashboard on CDPS’s website to keep the public updated on the backlog—including everyone from survivors to criminal investigators to nurses conducting sexual assault evidence exams. This includes the number of tests completed, new cases received, and current turnaround times.
There 1,407 sexual assault evidence kits and forensic cases waiting to be testing by CBI. CBI’s backlog has been well-documented and partly exacerbated by a former forensic scientist’s mishandling and manipulation of DNA testing. Earlier this year, Representative Willford filed a lawsuit against Lyft alleging she was sexually assaulted during a ride in 2024. Her sexual assault forensic case is part of the backlog and has not been tested.