Registry in Colorado Department of Education for School Personnel

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED SENATE BILL 26-055 LLS NO. 26-0588.01 Veronica Parish x2606 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Baisley, HOUSE SPONSORSHIP (None), Senate Committees House Committees State, Veterans, & Military Affairs A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING A REGISTRY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE DISCIPLINARY HISTORY OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL.

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 creates a registry in the department of education for school personnel who have been found to violate the school district's conduct and discipline code or their employee contract.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: 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, add part 5 to article 63 of title 22 as follows:

PART 5 SCHOOL PERSONNEL DISCIPLINARY RECORDS REGISTRY

22-63-501. Creation of centralized registry - definitions.

(1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES:

(a) "ADMINISTRATOR" HAS THE MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION 22-63-103.

(b) "MISCONDUCT" MEANS ANY ACTION THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE CODE APPLICABLE TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL OR AN EMPLOYEE'S CONTRACT.

(c) "PUBLIC SCHOOL" HAS THE MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION 22-1-101.

(d) "REGISTRY" MEANS THE COMPUTERIZED CENTRAL REGISTRY OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH DISCIPLINARY RECORDS, AS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION.

(e) "SCHOOL DISTRICT" HAS THE MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION 22-55.5-102. (f) "SCHOOL PERSONNEL" MEANS TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, AND OTHER EMPLOYEES OF A SCHOOL.

(2) (a) THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL CREATE AND MAINTAIN A COMPUTERIZED CENTRAL REGISTRY OF EACH DISCIPLINARY RECORD OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL'S FOUND MISCONDUCT.

(b) A SCHOOL SHALL REGISTER ANY SCHOOL PERSONNEL, PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER DISCIPLINING THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL FOR CONDUCT DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2)(a) OF THIS SECTION. TO REGISTER SCHOOL PERSONNEL, THE SCHOOL SHALL SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2)(c) OF THIS SECTION.

(c) THE REGISTRY MUST INCLUDE, AT MINIMUM, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

(I) THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL;

(II) THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL'S DATE OF BIRTH;

(III) THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH THE SCHOOL PERSONNEL WAS OR REMAINS EMPLOYED; AND

(IV) ANY PERTINENT DISCIPLINARY RECORD.

(d) THE REGISTRY IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL PROHIBIT A PERSON WHO IS NOT AN ADMINISTRATOR FROM ACCESSING THE INFORMATION IN THE REGISTRY.

(e) THE REGISTRY MUST INCLUDE THE RELEVANT INFORMATION FROM EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHIN THE STATE.

SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.