HB26-1127 • 2026

Reporting After Fatal Car Crash

The bill requires coroners to include toxicology results for all deceased parties in required reports regarding motor vehicle crashes resulting in death. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. J. Joseph, Rep. M. Rutinel, Sen. D. Roberts, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. A. Boesenecker, Rep. S. Camacho, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. M. Froelich, Rep. L. García, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. A. Valdez, Sen. M. Ball, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. W. Lindstedt, Sen. L. Liston, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. K. Mullica, Sen. B. Pelton, Sen. M. Snyder, Sen. K. Wallace, Sen. M. Weissman
Last action: 2026-03-04
Official status: House Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the bill will affect coroners who do not have access to necessary toxicology results, nor does it address the potential impact on road safety and reduction of fatal accidents.

Reporting After Fatal Car Crashes

This bill requires coroners to include toxicology results in reports about motor vehicle crashes that result in death.

What This Bill Does

Requires coroners to report toxicology results for all deceased individuals involved in fatal car accidents.
Coroners must submit these reports electronically by the final business day of each quarter.
If a coroner does not have complete toxicology results on time, they can submit them later when available.

Who It Names or Affects

Coroners and other officials who perform similar functions
Law enforcement officers investigating fatal car crashes

Terms To Know

Toxicology results: Information about substances, such as drugs or alcohol, in a person's body at the time of death.
Department of Transportation: The government agency responsible for transportation-related matters including road safety and vehicle regulations.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how this bill will affect coroners who do not have access to necessary toxicology results.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.004

SEN Transportation & Energy

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment requires law enforcement officers to submit an amended report to the department within five days of receiving notification that a participant in a crash died within thirty days as a result of injuries from the crash, including toxicology results for all deceased parties.

Law enforcement must now provide an updated report if someone involved in a car accident dies within 30 days due to injuries from the crash.
The new report should include toxicology test results for anyone who died.

It is unclear how this amendment will be implemented and what specific details about toxicology tests are required.

L.005

SEN Transportation & Energy

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment limits the Department of Transportation's ability to request personal identifying information about deceased individuals involved in fatal car crashes.

Adds a new restriction that the Department of Transportation can only ask for personal details about someone who died if it is needed to follow federal rules.

The amendment does not specify what kind of information qualifies as 'necessary' or provide further context on how this will be enforced.

L.002

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment adds a new clause to the bill that prevents coroners from being required to order or pay for additional toxicology tests beyond what they would normally do.

Adds a new section (2) after existing text on page 2, line 4 of HB26-1127, which clarifies that coroners are not obligated to conduct extra toxicology tests unless these tests would typically be part of their regular duties.

The amendment does not specify what constitutes 'the ordinary course of the coroner's duties,' leaving some ambiguity about when additional testing might or might not be required.

L.003

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: The amendment limits the personal identifying information that coroners must include in their reports about fatal car crashes to only what is required by federal law.

Adds a new requirement for coroner reports, stating that they should contain only the minimum personal identifying information needed to meet federal reporting standards.

The amendment does not specify exactly which pieces of personal identifying information are necessary under federal requirements.

Bill History

2026-04-02 House
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
2026-04-01 House
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
2026-03-31 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-30 Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-03-25 Senate
Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-03-10 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation & Energy
2026-03-05 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-04 House
House Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-03-04 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-03-04 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-03-02 House
House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-02-25 House
House Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-02-04 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government

Official Summary Text

The bill requires coroners to include toxicology results for all deceased parties in required reports regarding motor vehicle crashes resulting in death.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0483.01 Veronica Parish x2606 HOUSE BILL 26-1127
House Committees Senate Committees
Transportation, Housing & Local Government Transportation & Energy
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING A REPORT AFTER MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES RESULTING101
IN DEATH.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill requires coroners to include toxicology results for all
deceased parties in required reports regarding motor vehicle crashes
resulting in death.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 31, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 30, 2026
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 5, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 4, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Rutinel and Joseph, Bacon, Boesenecker, Camacho, English, Froelich, Garcia, Lieder,
Lindsay, Marshall, Nguyen
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Roberts, Ball, Benavidez, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp,
Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Lindstedt, Liston, Marc hman, Mullica, Pelton B., Snyder, Wallace,
Weissman
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 42-4-1609 as1
follows:2
42-4-1609. Coroners to report.3
Every coroner or other official performing like functions shall on4
or before the tenth day of each month report in writing to the department5
the death of any person within such official's jurisdiction during the6
preceding calendar month as the result of an accident involving a motor7
vehicle and the circumstances of such accident UPON REQUEST BY THE8
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, EVERY CORONER OR OTHER OFFICIAL9
PERFORMING LIKE FUNCTIONS SHALL ELECTRONICALLY REPORT ALL10
AVAILABLE TOXICOLOGY RESULTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF11
TRANSPORTATION BY THE FINAL BUSINESS DAY OF EACH QUARTER OF THE12
CALENDAR YEAR FOR EACH DECEASED PARTY WHO DIED DURING THE13
QUARTER AS THE RESULT OF A CRASH I NVOLVING A MOTOR VEHICLE14
WITHIN THE OFFICIAL 'S JURISDICTION . IF A CORONER DOES NOT HAVE15
ACCESS TO NECESSARY TOXICOLOGY RESULTS ON THE FINAL BUSINESS DAY16
OF THE QUARTER, THE REPORT MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE NEXT QUARTER17
OF THE CALENDAR YEAR WHEN COMPLETE RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE. THE18
REPORT MUST INCLUDE ALL AVAILABLE TOXICOLOGY RESULTS FOR ALL19
DECEASED PARTIES INVOLVED IN A CRASH, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED20
TO, THE BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATIONS ; DRUG SCREENING PANELS ;21
AND THE DATE , TIME, AND SOURCE OF THE SAMPLE COLLECTIONS . THE22
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MAY ONLY REQUEST PERSONAL23
IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ABOUT A DECEASED PERSON PURSUANT TO24
THIS SECTION THAT IS NECESSARY TO MEET FEDERAL REPORTING25
REQUIREMENTS.26
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-4-1606, amend27
1127-2-
(4)(a)(I) as follows:1
42-4-1606. Duty to report accidents.2
(4) (a) (I) It is the duty of all law enforcement officers who3
receive notification of traffic accidents CRASHES within their respective4
jurisdictions or who investigate such accidents TRAFFIC CRASHES either5
at the time of or at the scene of the accident CRASH or thereafter by6
interviewing participants or witnesses to submit reports of all such7
accidents CRASHES to the department on the form provided, including8
insurance information received from any driver, within five days of9
AFTER the time they receive such THE information or complete their10
investigation. IF A PARTICIPANT IN A CRASH DIES WITHIN THIRTY DAYS11
AFTER THE CRASH AS A RESULT OF AN INJURY SUSTAINED IN THE CRASH ,12
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO WAS NOTIFIED OF OR INVESTIGATED13
THE CRASH SHALL SUBMIT AN AMENDED REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT14
WITHIN FIVE DAYS AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF THE DEATH . The15
law enforcement officer shall indicate in such THE report whether the16
inflatable restraint system in the vehicle, if any, inflated and deployed in17
the accident CRASH. For the purposes of this section, "inflatable restraint18
system" has the same meaning as set forth in 49 CFR sec. 507.20819
S4.1.5.1 (b) 49 CFR SEC. 571.208 S4.1.5.1 (b).20
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act21
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the22
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August23
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a24
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the25
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act26
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect27
1127-3-
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in1
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the2
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.3
1127-4-