SB26-073 • 2026

Order of Additional Parenting Time

The bill allows a court to order additional parenting time to a parent or legal custodian who was wrongfully denied court-ordered parenting time if the denial resulted from an investigation by a law e

Children

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Sen. S. Bright
Last action: 2026-02-11
Official status: Senate Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the effective date of the bill.

Order of Additional Parenting Time

The bill allows a court to order extra parenting time for parents or legal custodians who were wrongfully denied their court-ordered parenting time due to an investigation that did not find abuse or neglect.

What This Bill Does

Allows courts to give additional parenting time if a parent was wrongly denied their usual parenting time because of an investigation by law enforcement, child welfare agencies, or county human services and the investigation did not result in a substantial finding of abuse or neglect.
Requires the extra parenting time to be similar in type and length to what was originally ordered.
Permits the extra parenting time to include weekends, holidays, and vacations.
Sets a two-year limit for when the additional parenting time must be used after the court decides it was wrongfully denied.

Who It Names or Affects

Parents or legal custodians who were wrongly denied their court-ordered parenting time due to an investigation that did not find abuse or neglect.
Courts that will have to order additional parenting time under certain conditions.

Terms To Know

Parenting Time: The schedule of when a parent can spend time with their child after a divorce or separation.
Legal Custodian: A person who has legal responsibility for the care and upbringing of a minor, often appointed by a court.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not create a way to sue child welfare agencies or law enforcement if they conduct an investigation.
It only applies to parenting time disputes filed on or after its effective date.

Bill History

2026-02-11 Senate
Senate Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
2026-01-28 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary

Official Summary Text

The bill allows a court to order additional parenting time to a parent or legal custodian who was wrongfully denied court-ordered parenting time if the denial resulted from an investigation by a law enforcement agency, child welfare agency, or county department of human or social services and the investigation did not result in a substantial finding of abuse or neglect.
The additional parenting time ordered by a court must be of the same type and duration as the parenting time that was wrongfully denied; may include weekend, holiday, or vacation periods; and must be exercised by the parent or legal custodian no later than 2 years after the date the court finds that parenting time was wrongfully denied.
(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
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0498.01 Chelsea Princell x4335 SENATE BILL 26-073
Senate Committees House Committees
Judiciary
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING ADDITIONAL PARENTIN G TIME FOR A PARENT WHO IS101
WRONGFULLY DENIED COURT-ORDERED PARENTING TIME. 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 allows a court to order additional parenting time to a
parent or legal custodian who was wrongfully denied court-ordered
parenting time if the denial resulted from an investigation by a law
enforcement agency, child welfare agency, or county department of
human or social services and the investigation did not result in a
substantial finding of abuse or neglect.
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Bright,
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
(None),
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.
The additional parenting time ordered by a court must be of the
same type and duration as the parenting time that was wrongfully denied;
may include weekend, holiday, or vacation periods; and must be exercised
by the parent or legal custodian no later than 2 years after the date the
court finds that parenting time was wrongfully denied.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 14-10-129.7 as2
follows:3
14-10-129.7. Additional parenting time to compensate for4
denial of court-ordered parenting time.5
(1) UNLESS A PARENT OR LEGAL CUSTODIAN SHOWS GOOD CAUSE6
AS TO WHY AN ORDER FOR ADDITIONAL PARENTING TIME SHOULD NOT BE7
ISSUED, THE COURT SHALL ORDER ADDITIONAL PARENTING TIME TO8
COMPENSATE A PARENT OR LEGAL CUSTODIAN WHO WAS WRONGFULLY9
DENIED COURT-ORDERED PARENTING TIME IF:10
(a) T HE DENIAL RESULTED FROM AN INVESTIGATION BY A LAW11
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY , CHILD WELFARE AGENCY , OR COUNTY12
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN OR SOCIAL SERVICES; AND13
(b) THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT RESULT IN A FINDING OF ABUSE14
OR NEGLECT.15
(2) THE ADDITIONAL PARENTING TIME:16
(a) MUST BE OF THE SAME TYPE AND DURATION AS THE PARENTING17
TIME THAT WAS WRONGFULLY DENIED;18
(b) M AY INCLUDE WEEKEND , HOLIDAY, OR VACATION PERIODS ;19
AND20
(c) MUST BE EXERCISED, AS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS21
SECTION, NO LATER THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE DATE THE COURT FINDS22
THAT PARENTING TIME WAS WRONGFULLY DENIED.23
SB26-073-2-
(3) THE PARENT OR LEGAL CUSTODIAN WHO WAS WRONGFULLY1
DENIED PARENTING TIME MAY SELECT DATES AND TIMES FOR THE2
ADDITIONAL PARENTING TIME GRANTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (1) OF3
THIS SECTION WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2) OF4
THIS SECTION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE COURT5
ORDER.6
(4) THIS SECTION DOES NOT:7
(a) C REATE A CAUSE OF ACTION AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF8
HUMAN SERVICES, A CHILD WELFARE AGENCY, OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT9
AGENCY; OR10
(b) C ONSTITUTE A MATERIAL OR SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN11
CIRCUMSTANCES SUFFICIENT TO MODIFY A PARENTING TIME ORDER12
ENTERED BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.13
(5) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO ALL PARENTING TIME DISPUTES OR14
MOTIONS FILED ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION . AN15
ACTION IN WHICH A FINAL PARENTING TIME ORDER WAS ENTERED BEFORE16
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION IS GOVERNED BY THE LAW IN EFFECT17
AT THE TIME OF THAT PARENTING TIME ORDER.18
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act19
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the20
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August21
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a22
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the23
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act24
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect25
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in26
SB26-073-3-
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the1
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.2
SB26-073-4-