HB 26-1298

HB 26-1298, also known as Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements, updates Colorado’s laws to ensure that background checks for people who take care of children in the child welfare system meet federal standards set by the FBI. This change is necessary because the current method doesn’t comply with these federal requirements, and a grace period allowing Colorado to continue using its own methods will end in May 2026. The bill gives counties and the state’s human services department the authority they need to perform these background checks correctly. Since it has been signed into law, this means that the necessary changes are now official and must be implemented by the specified deadline.

Official Summary

Under current law, background checks are required for all individuals who provide out-of-home care for child-welfare-involved youth. Current law does not comply with the federal bureau of investigation's (FBI) standards for background checks, and the FBI granted Colorado a temporary grace period to allow Colorado to perform these background checks through the FBI. The temporary grace period ends May 2026.     The bill revises statutory provisions to give counties and the Colorado department of human services the statutory authority needed to conduct the required background checks in accordance with the FBI's standards.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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