Several New Colorado Laws Take Effect Tuesday

June 30th 2014

Measures passed by Colorado lawmakers this year that do everything from giving law enforcement officials an expanded window of time to solve hit-and-run homicide cases to outlawing so-called “revenge porn,” will become law Tuesday.

Wikipedia

Nearly 425 bills passed through this year’s legislative session and about 50 will become law Tuesday, while about 230 have already taken effect. The remaining bills will become law at a later date.

Among the new statutes is one that makes illegal the online posting of intimate pictures or videos of former romantic partners. Known widely as “revenge porn,” Colorado is one of several states this year to pass a bill outlawing the practice. Under the law it would be a misdemeanor to publish on the Internet explicit images of someone without their consent.

“The effects of someone posting intimate photos online can be devastating to the victim, but now there will be serious consequences for the perpetrators of this horrible practice,” said state Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, the bill’s prime sponsor. “Women, and men, of Colorado will be able to seek justice against someone attempting to cause them harm by publishing personal and private images online.”

A separate measure that becomes law gives police more time to solve hit-and-run vehicular homicide cases by doubling the statute of limitations from five years to 10 years. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill â€" known as Medina Alert â€" which became law in March and allows authorities to better broadcast hit-and-run information quickly on electronic highway signs and via the media.

Another bill that focuses on public safety and becomes law Tuesday stiffens sentencing for the worst cases of sexual assaults against children.

The law, modeled after Florida’s Jessica’s Law, would stagger sentences that range from 10 to 48 years for child predators based on the seriousness of the crime and classification of the felony. Lawmakers voted unanimously in support of the bill.

“Any time we can make the community safer from violent sexual offenders, we need to do it. And this law is reflection of improved public safety,” said Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette, who sponsored the bill that now becomes law.

Other notable laws that will take effect Tuesday include:

• A law that limits the fees a public agency can charge for retrieval of requested public records under the Colorado Open Records Act.

• The creation of a $9 million grant program to fund scientific research to better understand the medicinal impacts of marijuana.

• A law increasing funding for a property tax and rent rebate program for low-income seniors and couples who qualify.

• When a child is conceived as a result of rape, a law that allows courts to sever any access the rapist may have to the survivor and her child.