HB16-1007: Offenses Against an Unborn Child

• Adds section 18-1-506 to Colorado Revised Statutes allowing prosecutors to charge homicide and assault offenses when any crime codified in the criminal code or traffic code is the proximate cause of death or injury to an unborn member of the species homo sapiens.

• Permits homicide and assault charges to be brought simultaneously with underlying criminal charges when death or injury to an unborn child results from the commission of a crime.

• Applies to crimes codified in Title 18 (criminal code) or Title 42 (traffic code) of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

• Takes effect July 1, 2016, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

• Notes that the bill may increase periods of imprisonment and may require a five-year appropriation to cover increased capital construction and operational costs for state correctional facilities.