Colorado Senate Committee Clears Bill Requiring 24‑Hour Family Notification and 21‑Day Video Access After Police Use‑of‑Force Deaths

Claim 1: Senate Bill 190, sponsored by Senate President James Coleman (D‑Denver) and Senator Mike Weissman (D‑Aurora), passed the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee.

Evidence: Official press releases from Senate Democrats state that the bill introduced by Coleman and Weissman cleared the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. The bill‑tracking portal lists Coleman and Weissman as sponsors and records the committee referral and approval.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: Both the legislative press announcement and the independent tracking system confirm the sponsorship and committee passage, leaving no contradictory information.

Claim 2: Under SB26‑190, law enforcement must make an effort to identify and notify a victim’s immediate family within 24 hours of a deadly use‑of‑force investigation and provide the investigation status.

Evidence: The bill’s summary specifies that agencies must attempt to identify the victim’s immediate family and notify known members within 24 hours, along with an update on the investigation’s progress.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: The statutory language directly imposes the 24‑hour notification and status‑update requirement, and no source disputes this provision.

Claim 3: SB26‑190 guarantees families the right to obtain video and audio recordings of a deadly use‑of‑force incident within 21 days and ensures they receive such recordings before they are released to the public.

Evidence: The bill’s text grants families the right to request and receive video and audio recordings within a 21‑day window and mandates that families receive the material prior to any public dissemination.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: The provision creates a clear timeline for family access and prioritizes their receipt over public release, a detail echoed in both the press release and the bill‑tracking summary.

What to watch next – The bill now moves to the Senate floor; its final passage will determine whether these notification and recording safeguards become state law.