HB26-1290 • 2026

Criminal Offense of Assault

The bill expands the definition of "emergency medical care provider" for the purposes of assault offenses to include providers who are performing any function related to medical care. Under current la

Crime Firearms Healthcare

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Rep. M. Duran, Rep. A. Hartsook, Sen. L. Frizell, Sen. D. Roberts
Last action: 2026-04-17
Official status: House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Criminal Offense of Assault

The bill expands the definition of "emergency medical care provider" for the purposes of assault offenses to include providers who are performing any function related to medical care.

What This Bill Does

The bill expands the definition of "emergency medical care provider" for the purposes of assault offenses to include providers who are performing any function related to medical care.
Under current law, second degree assault by preventing certain public servants from performing a lawful duty requires intentionally causing bodily injury to another person.
The bill changes the requirement to knowingly causing bodily injury to another person.
The bill clarifies that second degree assault by strangulation by means of a deadly weapon, including a person's body part, may be charged as crime of violence subject to mandatory incarceration if the defendant has previously been convicted of second degree assault by strangulation.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

L.003

HOU Judiciary

Passed [*]

Plain English: HB1290_L.003 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Judiciary.

HB1290_L.003 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Judiciary.
HB26-1290 be amended as follows: 1 Amend printed bill, page 2, strike lines 2 through 14.
2 Renumber succeeding sections accordingly.
3 Page 2, line 16, strike "(1)(c.5), and (2)(c)(II);" and substitute "(1)(c.5);".

Bill History

2026-04-17 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-16 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-03-27 House
House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-03-24 House
House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-02-23 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary

Official Summary Text

The bill expands the definition of "emergency medical care provider" for the purposes of assault offenses to include providers who are performing any function related to medical care.
Under current law, second degree assault by preventing certain public servants from performing a lawful duty requires intentionally causing bodily injury to another person. The bill changes the requirement to knowingly causing bodily injury to another person.
The bill clarifies that second degree assault by strangulation by means of a deadly weapon, including a person's body part, may be charged as crime of violence subject to mandatory incarceration if the defendant has previously been convicted of second degree assault by strangulation.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
ENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0113.01 Owen Hatch x2698 HOUSE BILL 26-1290
House Committees Senate Committees
Judiciary
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF ASSAULT , AND , IN101
CONNECTION THEREWITH, CLARIFYING SENTENCING.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 expands the definition of "emergency medical care
provider" for the purposes of assault offenses to include providers who
are performing any function related to medical care.
Under current law, second degree assault by preventing certain
public servants from performing a lawful duty requires intentionally
causing bodily injury to another person. The bill changes the requirement
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 16, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hartsook and Duran,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Roberts and Frizell,
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.
to knowingly causing bodily injury to another person.
The bill clarifies that second degree assault by strangulation by
means of a deadly weapon, including a person's body part, may be
charged as crime of violence subject to mandatory incarceration if the
defendant has previously been convicted of second degree assault by
strangulation.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
2
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 18-3-203, amend3
(1)(c), (1)(c.5); and add (2)(c)(III) as follows:4
18-3-203. Assault in the second degree.5
(1) A person commits the crime of assault in the second degree if:6
(c) With intent to prevent one whom he or she THE PERSON knows,7
or should know, to be a peace officer, firefighter, emergency medical care8
provider, or emergency medical service provider from performing a9
lawful duty, he or she THE PERSON intentionally causes bodily injury to10
any ANOTHER person; or11
(c.5) With intent to prevent one whom he or she THE PERSON12
knows, or should know, to be a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency13
medical service provider from performing a lawful duty, he or she THE14
PERSON intentionally causes serious bodily injury to any ANOTHER person;15
or16
17
(2) (c) (III) WHEN A DEFENDANT IS CONVICTED OF ASSAULT IN THE18
SECOND DEGREE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (1)(i) OF THIS SECTION AND19
HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF CHARGES , WHICH WERE20
SEPARATELY BROUGHT AND TRIED PRIOR TO THE COMMISSION OF THE21
PRESENT ACT , FOR ASSAULT IN THE SECOND DEGREE PURSUANT TO22
1290-2-
SUBSECTION (1)(i) OF THIS SECTION , A COURT SHALL SENTENCE THE1
DEFENDANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 18-1.3-406. A PREVIOUS2
CONVICTION MUST BE SET FORTH IN THE COMPLAINT , INDICTMENT , OR3
INFORMATION FOR THE PRESENT ACT.4
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date -5
applicability. (1) This act takes effect September 1, 2026; except that,6
if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of7
the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act8
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect9
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in10
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the11
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.12
(2) This act applies to offenses committed on or after the13
applicable effective date of this act.14
1290-3-