Colorado Lawmakers Introduce Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Bill

Legislation aims to save lives by requiring law enforcement to screen for high-risk situations.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Two Colorado state lawmakers, who are domestic violence survivors themselves, have introduced a bill that would require law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence calls to conduct a lethality assessment. The assessment consists of 11 questions that research shows are the strongest predictors of lethal violence. The bill also requires officers to immediately connect anyone who scores high risk to a local victim's advocate.

Why it matters

Domestic violence deaths have been increasing in Colorado even as other types of violent crime decrease. This legislation is designed to help law enforcement better identify high-risk situations and connect victims with critical support services that could save lives.

The details

The bill, which has bipartisan support, would make the lethality assessment mandatory for all law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence calls in the state. The assessment includes questions about threats, weapons, strangulation, and stalking. The legislation also requires mandatory training for all law enforcement and makes participation by victims voluntary.

  • In 2024, homicides in Colorado dropped to a five-year low of 266.
  • Domestic violence deaths in Colorado rose to 72 in 2024.

The players

Monica Duran

Democratic Majority Leader in the Colorado legislature and a domestic violence survivor.

Ryan Gonzalez

Republican state Representative in Colorado and a witness to domestic violence in his personal life.

Michael Daugherty

District Attorney in Boulder County, Colorado, where the lethality assessment is already standard practice.

Morgan McGarvey

A Boulder resident who says the lethality assessment saved her life.

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What they’re saying

“I learned how to disappear inside myself while standing in the same room, being beaten, while my son cried in his crib.”

— Monica Duran, Democratic Majority Leader (CBS News)

“It's very difficult to relive a little and think about it, because of all that pain, all that hurt, disappointment, anger.”

— Ryan Gonzalez, Republican State Representative (CBS News)

“Part of the challenge for law enforcement is they're responding, sometimes, in very rapid-moving situations, and they have a difficult time assessing what's the risk going forward.”

— Michael Daugherty, District Attorney, Boulder County (CBS News)

“This was the first time I realized how physically dangerous the marriage had become. Without officers showing me on paper what my risk score was, I would not be here today ... I was referred to Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence.”

— Morgan McGarvey (CBS News)

What’s next

The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee unanimously and is now headed to the full Colorado legislature for consideration.

The takeaway

This legislation represents a proactive approach to addressing the rise in domestic violence deaths in Colorado, empowering law enforcement to better identify high-risk situations and connect victims with critical support services. If passed, it could serve as a model for other states looking to save the lives of domestic violence victims.