HB23-1159 Summary

• Establishes the Commission to Study Family Courts to evaluate Colorado family courts and recommend improvements to the judicial department and general assembly by September 30, 2024.

• Commission membership includes 4 parents involved in family court cases, 4 individuals with childhood experience in family court, victim advocate, child support agency representative, parental responsibility evaluator/investigator, 2 family law attorneys, 1 district judge, state court administrator representative, 1 senator, and 1 house representative.

• Commission must study costs, timeliness, court-appointed investigator effectiveness, judicial training, revenue generation, demographic impacts on decisions, self-represented litigants, ruling consistency, appeal options, long-term family outcomes, and judicial misconduct.

• Commission shall hold first meeting by September 30, 2023, meet at least quarterly through September 30, 2024, take public testimony at each meeting, and may hold up to 4 in-person meetings outside the Capitol.

• Appropriates $119,057 to legislative department and $67,267 to judicial department for 2023-24 fiscal year; commission is repealed December 31, 2024.