Domestic Abuse Programs

C.R.S. tit. 26, art. 7.5
in effect

C.R.S. § 26-7.5-101 Legislative declaration

26-7.5-101. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly finds that: (a) A significant number of homicides, aggravated assaults, assaults and batteries, and other types of abuse and coercive control occur within Colorado; that the reported incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault represents only a portion of the total number of incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault; that a large percentage of police officer deaths in the line of duty result from police intervention in domestic abuse situations; and that domestic violence and sexual assault is a complex problem affecting families from all social and economic backgrounds; (b) Domestic violence and sexual assault can have harmful and lasting consequences for victims, families, communities, and the state. Domestic violence and sexual assault have a profound impact on not only victims' physical, psychological, and social well-being, but also on individuals' economic stability and the state's economy. Economic impacts often include criminal and civil legal system costs; medical and behavioral health expenditures; lower wages resulting from diminished educational attainment; lost wages from missed work, job loss, debt, and poor credit; and costs associated with housing instability. (c) The best available research shows that domestic violence and sexual assault occur at relatively equal rates. Research also shows that individuals from populations underserved due to geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or ethnicity, language barriers, disabilities, alienage, and age experience domestic violence and sexual assault at higher rates and face greater challenges in accessing services than the general population. Therefore, funding should ensure equal support for domestic violence and sexual assault services as well as support for services for underserved populations and culturally specific programs. (d) Community-based advocates are uniquely positioned to offer victims various options for services and to support the choices victims make. Community-based advocates focus primarily on the needs, choices, and input of the victim. Therefore, the general assembly declares that community-based advocates are a critical component of a victim-centered response to domestic violence and sexual assault. (e) In a continued effort to promote increased diversity among the funded victim service organizations, it is the intent of the general assembly that, in administering this article 7.5, the state department identify additional measures to address barriers that historically underserved victims, including people of color, face in accessing victim services.

C.R.S. § 26-7.5-102 Definitions

26-7.5-102. Definitions. As used in this article 7.5, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Culturally specific program" means a program operated by a nongovernmental agency or tribal organization with the primary purpose of providing culturally specific and culturally responsive services by providers from diverse cultural backgrounds to American Indians, including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts; Asian Americans; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; Hispanics; or any underserved population in order to assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, which may include acts of teen dating violence or stalking. (2) "Domestic violence" means an act or pattern of behavior in which a person uses or threatens to use physical, sexual, mental, or emotional abuse to control another individual with whom the person is or was in an intimate relationship. (3) "Domestic violence program" means a culturally and linguistically appropriate community-based or community-oriented program, which may include residential facilities, that uses victim advocates, as defined in section 13-90-107 (1)(k), and that is operated by a nongovernmental agency or federally recognized Indian tribe and established pursuant to the criteria set forth in section 26-7.5-103, to assist victims of domestic violence and their dependents, including victims of teen dating violence or stalking. (4) "Nongovernmental agency" means any person, private nonprofit agency, corporation, or other nongovernmental agency. (5) "Sexual assault" means any act or threatened act that is sexual in nature or intent and causes harm, including sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and rape. (6) "Sexual assault program" means a culturally and linguistically appropriate community-based or community-oriented program to assist victims of sexual assault, which may include teen dating violence or stalking, that uses victim advocates, as defined in section 13-90-107 (1)(k), and that is operated by a nongovernmental agency or federally recognized Indian tribe and is established pursuant to the criteria set forth in section 26-7.5-103. (7) "Stalking" means any act described in section 18-3-602. (8) "State domestic violence or sexual assault coalition" means a coalition designated as the state domestic violence coalition by the federal department of health and human services or designated as the state sexual assault coalition by the federal centers for disease control and prevention. (9) "Teen dating violence" means: (a) A pattern of behavior in which a person uses or threatens to use physical, sexual, mental, or emotional abuse to control another person who is in a dating relationship with the person, and one or both persons are under eighteen years of age; or (b) Behavior by which a person uses or threatens to use sexual violence against another person who is in a dating relationship with the person, and one or both persons are under eighteen years of age. (10) "Tribal domestic violence or sexual assault coalition" means a tribal coalition that provides services to victims of domestic violence or sexual assault and that satisfies the criteria set forth in 34 U.S.C. sec. 10441 (d)(2)(A). (11) "Underserved population" means a population that faces barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes a population underserved because of religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or ethnicity, language barriers, disabilities, alienage, age, or geographic location.

C.R.S. § 26-7.5-103 Domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs - criteria

26-7.5-103. Domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs - criteria. (1) A domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific program established pursuant to this article 7.5 shall provide, but not be limited to: (a) Direct advocacy or counseling for persons who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, and their dependents, and support for the victims' animal companions; (b) Programs that assist victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, and their dependents, in obtaining services and information; (c) Educational and prevention programs on domestic violence or sexual assault designed for both the community at large and specialized groups such as medical personnel and law enforcement officials. (2) Domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs shall utilize the resources of the community in meeting the personal and family needs of participants. (3) As a part of a domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific program, a facility may be established to provide residential accommodations to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and their dependents. (4) Domestic violence, sexual assault, and culturally specific programs may participate in, develop, implement, or enhance coordinated community response teams, sexual assault response teams, or similar coordinated community responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.

C.R.S. § 26-7.5-104 Community domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs - contracts with state department - rules

26-7.5-104. Community domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs - contracts with state department - rules. (1) The executive director may enter into contracts or agreements for services with any nongovernmental agency or federally recognized Indian tribe that has established and that operates a community domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific program for domestic violence or sexual assault program services. (2) (a) The state department shall establish, by rule, and enforce standards and regulations for all domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs established pursuant to this article 7.5 and shall require that each domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific program meets approved minimum standards as established by rule. (b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2022.)

C.R.S. § 26-7.5-104.5 Domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions - contracts - duties - coalition agreements with programs

26-7.5-104.5. Domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions - contracts - duties - coalition agreements with programs. (1) The state department may enter into a contract or agreement with a state or tribal domestic violence or sexual assault coalition, referred to in this section as a "coalition", for program services and other services described in this section. (2) A coalition that enters into a contract or agreement with the state department shall, at a minimum, provide training and technical assistance for domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs and other nongovernmental and governmental service providers. (3) A coalition that enters into a contract or agreement with the state department may: (a) Participate in systems advocacy, including but not limited to representing the needs of domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs and victims of domestic violence or sexual assault on state boards, committees, task forces, and workgroups; (b) Develop and implement policies to improve the response to and prevention of domestic violence or sexual assault; and (c) Conduct statewide community outreach and public education related to domestic violence or sexual assault. (4) A coalition may subcontract with a nongovernmental agency or federally recognized Indian tribe that operates a community domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific program to provide program services.

C.R.S. § 26-7.5-105 Funding of domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs - funding coalitions - state domestic violence and sexual assault services fund - appropriation - repeal

26-7.5-105. Funding of domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs - funding coalitions - state domestic violence and sexual assault services fund - appropriation - repeal. (1) (a) The state department shall, subject to available appropriations, reimburse a nongovernmental agency or federally recognized Indian tribe operating a domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific program or a state or tribal domestic violence or sexual assault coalition pursuant to this article 7.5. Not less than seventy-five percent of all contract funding under this article 7.5 must be allocated to nongovernmental agencies. (b) Money generated from fees collected pursuant to part 1 of article 2 of title 14 and article 15 of title 14 or transferred pursuant to section 13-32-101 (5)(a)(X) or (5)(b)(II) must be used to reimburse domestic violence, sexual assault, or culturally specific programs that provide services as provided in section 26-7.5-103 to persons or their families, which persons are married, separated, or divorced or parties to a civil union or an invalidated, legally separated, or dissolved civil union. (2) Staffing and administrative expenses of the state department of human services and other agencies for carrying out the provisions of this article shall be appropriated annually from available funds generated by the contribution cash funds. (3) (a) The Colorado domestic abuse program fund established pursuant to section 39-22-802 may be funded by any general fund money that is appropriated by the general assembly pursuant to the annual general appropriations act. The executive director has the authority to expend such funds appropriated to the Colorado domestic abuse program fund for the purposes described in this article 7.5. (b) The general assembly shall appropriate money from the economic recovery and relief cash fund, created in section 24-75-228, as enacted by Senate Bill 21-291, enacted in 2021, to the Colorado domestic abuse program fund established pursuant to section 39-22-802. The money shall then be appropriated from the Colorado domestic abuse program fund to the state department to be used for domestic abuse programs and purposes described in this article 7.5 that also conform with the allowable purposes set forth in the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", Pub.L. 117-2, as the act may be subsequently amended, including offsetting grant reductions and other losses experienced as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and gender-based violence organizations, including standalone anti-sexual assault organizations. The state department may use up to five percent of any money appropriated by the general assembly pursuant to this subsection (3)(b) for development and administrative costs incurred by the state department pursuant to this subsection (3)(b). (4) (a) The state domestic violence and sexual assault services fund is created in the state treasury and is referred to in this subsection (4) as the "fund". The fund consists of money transferred to the fund pursuant to subsection (4)(b) of this section and any other money appropriated or transferred into the fund. Money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the state department for any purpose described in this article 7.5. (b) Within three days after May 19, 2022, the state treasurer shall transfer six million dollars to the fund from the behavioral and mental health cash fund, created in section 24-75-230. Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a) of this section, the money transferred to the fund pursuant to this subsection (4)(b) that originates from money the state received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund may only be used for a purpose described in this article 7.5 that conforms with the allowable purposes set forth in the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", Pub.L. 117-2. Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a) of this section, the money transferred to the fund pursuant to this subsection (4)(b) that originates from money the state received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund may only be used for a purpose described in this article 7.5 that conforms with the allowable purposes set forth in the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", Pub.L. 117-2. (c) The state department and each recipient of money from the fund that originates from money the state received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund shall comply with the compliance, reporting, record-keeping, and program evaluation requirements established by the office of state planning and budgeting and the state controller in accordance with section 24-75-226 (5). (c.5) Repealed. (c.7) (I) On June 18, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer from the fund to the behavioral and mental health cash fund, created in section 24-75-230, four hundred ninety-five thousand dollars that originated from money the state received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund. (II) This subsection (4)(c.7) is repealed, effective June 30, 2025. (d) The state department shall annually publish on its website: (I) For each organization that receives funding pursuant to this article 7.5, the name of the organization, amount of the funding received, the number and types of crimes for which victims are served, and the services provided with the funding; (II) The following information from organizations that receive funding, in aggregate: The number and types of crimes for which victims are served; the types of services provided; and the gender, race and ethnicity, and other available demographic information of clients served with the funding; and (III) To the extent known, and in aggregate form, the gender, racial and ethnic makeup, and other demographic information of the staff and board of directors, if applicable, of organizations that receive funding. The state department shall make its best effort to collect the information described in this subsection (4)(d)(III). (e) Subsections (4)(b) and (4)(c) of this section are repealed, effective July 1, 2027.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-26.docxFetched: 10/6/2026