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HB26-1256 • 2026

Procedures & Data Individual's Release from Department of Corrections

The act requires the department of corrections (department) to furnish an individual being discharged from the department's custody a release allowance of at least $100, free of any deductions. Beginn

Crime
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. J. Mabrey, Sen. L. Cutter, Rep. A. Boesenecker, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. S. Camacho, Rep. M. Carter, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. C. Espenoza, Rep. M. Froelich, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. J. McCluskie, Rep. K. McCormick, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. N. Ricks, Rep. G. Rydin, Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. L. Smith, Rep. R. Taggart, Rep. B. Titone, Rep. Y. Zokaie, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. M. Ball, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. K. Wallace, Sen. M. Weissman
Last action
2026-06-03
Official status
Governor Signed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary states data collection begins by September 15, 2027, but the effective date of the law itself is not listed in the provided metadata.

Release Money and ID Cards for People Leaving Prison

This law requires the Department of Corrections to give people leaving prison at least $100 with no deductions, helps them get state identification cards before they leave, and stops charging fees for these IDs while in custody.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires giving individuals being released from custody a release allowance of at least $100 without any money taken out.
  • Removes the old rule that required giving people a ticket to travel home before releasing them.
  • Makes eligible offenders join a program to get state ID cards unless they choose not to participate.
  • Stops the department from charging fees for getting an ID card while someone is still in custody; any costs must be paid after release.
  • Requires collecting and reporting data on how many people receive money, IDs, birth certificates, and Social Security numbers upon release.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Individuals being discharged from Department of Corrections facilities
  • The Colorado Department of Corrections
  • The Department of Public Health and Environment

Terms To Know

Release allowance
Money given to a person when they leave prison custody.
Opt-out
Choosing not to take part in the ID card program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not state an effective date for when these rules begin.
  • It is unclear how much money will be needed each year beyond the $100 minimum per person.
  • The text does not explain what happens if a department cannot find documents to make an ID card.

Amendments

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

L.002

HOU Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment removes specific text from the bill that was likely related to a list of conditions or exceptions regarding release allowances.

  • Removes the letter '(I)' found on page 3, line 13 of the original bill.
  • The amendment text only shows what words are being deleted but does not include the full sentences or context around them.
  • Because the surrounding text is missing from this document, it is unclear exactly which rule or condition was removed by striking lines 19 through 24.
L.001

HOU Judiciary

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment changes how the Department of Corrections handles release documents and reporting, requiring officials to give inmates a 'ticket of leave' ten days before they are released.

  • The bill now requires giving an inmate a ticket of leave at least ten days before their scheduled discharge or parole date.
  • Officials must ask offenders if they want to join the identification program 180 days before release, instead of waiting for the offender to speak up first.
  • If an offender chooses not to participate in the ID program but later changes their mind, officials will start getting them documents immediately.
  • The bill requires the department to publish a yearly report by September 15 starting in 2027 that explains barriers to getting identification.
  • Some parts of this amendment only fix numbering and formatting errors, so they do not change how the law works.
  • The text does not explain what specific information must be included in the yearly report beyond mentioning 'barriers' to getting ID.
L.003

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: This amendment changes the bill to require a yearly report on barriers people face getting ID documents and fixes unclear wording about how money is paid.

  • Requires an annual explanation of challenges offenders faced in obtaining identification documents during the previous year.
  • Corrects confusing text that repeated 'the department' when describing payments made to the department.
  • The amendment text contains technical instructions about which specific lines on pages 2, 3, and 7 of a committee report were changed, making it hard to explain every detail without seeing that original report.
  • It is unclear exactly what the phrase 'the department paid in advance' means for how money moves because the full context of the payment rule was not provided.
L.004

Third Reading

Passed

Plain English: This amendment adds a rule that stops the Department of Corrections from charging fees when helping people get their identification before they are released.

  • The bill is updated to include a new section numbered (8).
  • The department cannot charge any money for services related to getting an ID.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-03 Governor

    Governor Signed

  2. 2026-05-20 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  3. 2026-05-20 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  4. 2026-05-20 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  5. 2026-05-08 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-05-07 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  7. 2026-05-06 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  8. 2026-05-06 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

  9. 2026-05-04 Senate

    Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Appropriations

  10. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary

  11. 2026-04-28 House

    House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor

  12. 2026-04-27 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor

  13. 2026-04-24 House

    House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole

  14. 2026-03-18 House

    House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations

  15. 2026-02-18 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary

Official Summary Text

The act requires the department of corrections (department) to furnish an individual being discharged from the department's custody a release allowance of at least $100, free of any deductions. Beginning by September 15, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department is required to collect and report discharge data, including the number of individuals released from department correctional facilities, the number and percentage of released individuals who received the release allowance, and the total amount of money spent on release allowances. The department must issue a report to the general assembly annually. The act repeals provisions requiring the department to give an individual a ticket to leave prior to discharging the individual from a correctional facility.
The act requires eligible offenders to participate in the department's existing program to procure state-issued identification cards for offenders (program), unless the offender affirmatively opts-out of the program. Beginning by September 15, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department is required to collect data on the process of securing necessary identification documents to issue state identification cards and issue a report to the general assembly. The report must include the number and percentage of offenders released with an identification card, birth certificate, and social security number and the number and percentage of offenders who were ineligible to participate in the program and the reason for ineligibility.
The department is prohibited from charging an offender a fee to obtain a state identification card, and any fee incurred in the process of securing an offender's identification documents to create the state identification card must be assessed after the offender has been released and may be consolidated with existing restitution, fees, or other legal financial obligations owed by the offender.
The department of public health and environment shall assist the department in securing necessary identification documents.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)