SB 17-120

Senate Bill 17-120 requires that all peace officers in Colorado must be U.S. citizens, with some exceptions. It allows currently employed legal permanent resident peace officers until July 1, 2022, to become citizens, and it exempts honorably discharged veterans from the citizenship requirement. The bill is now signed into law, meaning that it has been enacted and its requirements are in effect for all new hires and those who need to comply with the deadline.

Official Summary

The 'Immigration and Nationality Act' allows states to pass laws requiring United States citizenship as a condition of employment. The bill imposes a United States citizenship requirement for peace officers, including certified peace officers, in Colorado. Honorably discharged veterans of the United States military are exempted from the United States citizenship requirement. A person who is a legal permanent resident and who is employed by a law enforcement agency as a peace officer or certified peace officer on the effective date of the bill is exempted from the United States citizenship requirement until July 1, 2022, unless the P.O.S.T. board extends the date for compliance. A person who is a legal permanent resident and is a certified peace officer but not employed on the effective date of the bill is exempted from the United States citizenship requirement until July 1, unless the P.O.S.T. board extends the date for compliance. The P.O.S.T. board, upon request of the employing law enforcement agency of a certified peace officer whose compliance was grandfathered, may extend the date for the certified peace officer's compliance with the United States citizenship requirement based upon a showing that the certified peace officer is making progress towards attaining citizenship and needs an extension of time. If the person fails to obtain United States citizenship during the grandfathered-time period, the P.O.S.T. board shall revoke the person's peace officer certification, if applicable, unless the P.O.S.T. board extends the date for compliance. For purposes of the grandfather provision, an adult probation officer and a juvenile probation officer are considered to be employed by a law enforcement agency. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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