HB 17-1313

HB 17-1313, also known as Civil Forfeiture Reform, is a Colorado law that requires police departments and other agencies to report twice a year on how they seize property and money from people suspected of crimes. The reports must be posted online for the public to see, unless sharing such information could put someone in danger or reveal confidential details. If these agencies don't submit their reports on time, they face penalties. Additionally, the law limits when local agencies can receive federal funds related to seized property and money, requiring a minimum value of $50,000 for certain cases. Since this bill has been signed into law, it is now enforceable in Colorado.

Official Summary

The bill requires the executive director of the department of local affairs (department), after considering the input from specified interested parties, to establish a form for law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and multijurisdictional task forces (seizing agencies) to use in submitting to the department biannual reports containing specified information on seizures through which the seizing agencies received proceeds from a forfeiture and the use of the proceeds. Based on the reports, the department is to post on its website a searchable database that includes the information contained in the biannual reports and a summary report of the information. Seizing agencies are required to submit the biannual reports containing information known to the agency by specified dates; except that an agency need not include information if the disclosure of the information could endanger a person or disclose certain confidential information. Seizing agencies are required to pay civil penalties for failure to file or late filing of the reports. The bill directs the executive director of the department to submit an annual report to the governor, the attorney general, and the judiciary committees of the general assembly on seizure and forfeiture activity in the state. The bill prohibits seizing agencies from receiving forfeiture proceeds from the federal government unless the aggregate net equity value of the property and currency seized in the case is in excess of $50,000 and the federal government commences a forfeiture proceeding that relates to a filed criminal case. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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