SB 24-119

Senate Bill 24-119 updates Colorado law to help more children qualify for special immigrant juvenile status. It clarifies that a child can be considered abandoned if one or both parents have died, making them eligible for federal classification as a special immigrant juvenile. This change affects children who might not previously have qualified due to the death of their parents instead of other forms of abandonment. The bill was signed into law and will take effect on August 7, 2024, meaning it will soon provide new opportunities for certain minors in Colorado.

Official Summary

Current law states that if there is sufficient evidence to determine that reunification of a child or youth with one or both parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or a similar basis, the child or youth is eligible for federal classification as a special immigrant juvenile. The act clarifies that abandonment includes, but is not limited to, the death of one or both parents. The act defines the phrase "special immigrant juvenile status findings". APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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