Colorado Bill Modifies Criminal Law and Sentencing for Trafficking Offenses

Detected March 5th, 2026

Summary

Colorado's SB26-075 modifies criminal law and sentencing for human trafficking and pimping offenses. The bill alters sentencing requirements, allows courts to consider the source of funds for bond determinations, and updates terminology for offenses involving commercial sexual activity with a child.

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What changed

Colorado Senate Bill 26-075 proposes significant changes to the state's criminal code concerning human trafficking and pimping offenses. Key modifications include removing certain human trafficking offenses from the list of crimes of violence subject to enhanced sentencing when weapons are involved, and instead mandating sentencing within a specific range of the presumptive sentencing guidelines. The bill also introduces enhanced sentencing for pimping offenses when the victim is an at-risk person and for certain human trafficking offenses when the victim is an at-risk adult. Furthermore, it expands the criteria courts may consider for bond determinations to include the source of funds and potential criminal derivation.

These changes will impact how individuals convicted of these offenses are sentenced and how bond is determined. Legal professionals and law enforcement will need to familiarize themselves with the revised sentencing ranges and criteria for bond considerations. The bill also updates terminology related to child prostitution to commercial sexual activity, requiring careful review of the new definitions and elements of these offenses. As this is a proposed bill, its final passage and effective date will determine when these changes take effect, but it represents a substantive shift in Colorado's approach to these crimes.

What to do next

Review SB26-075 for specific changes to sentencing guidelines for human trafficking and pimping offenses.
Update internal legal and operational procedures regarding bond determination criteria based on the bill's provisions.
Ensure understanding of updated terminology and elements for offenses involving commercial sexual activity with a child.

Penalties

The bill modifies sentencing requirements, mandating a term of at least the midpoint, but not more than twice the maximum, of the presumptive range for certain human trafficking offenses. It also subjects specific pimping and human trafficking offenses involving at-risk individuals to enhanced sentencing.

Source document (simplified)

SB26-075

Trafficking & Commercial Sexual Activity Offenses

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement |
Concerning modifying certain criminal law provisions, and, in connection therewith, changing sentencing requirements for human trafficking and certain pimping offenses, permitting a court to consider the source of funds when making bond determinations, and updating references to offenses involving commercial sexual activity with a child.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

The bill removes human trafficking for involuntary servitude and human trafficking for sexual servitude (human trafficking offenses) from the list of crimes of violence that are subject to enhanced sentencing if they involve the use, or possession and threatened use of, a deadly weapon or the infliction of serious bodily injury or death. Instead, the bill requires a court to sentence a person convicted of a human trafficking offense or a related attempt or conspiracy to the department of corrections for a term of at least the midpoint, but not more than twice the maximum, of the presumptive range authorized for the applicable offense. It clarifies that a class 3 felony human trafficking offense is also subject to sentencing modifications that are permitted under current law for crimes that present an extraordinary risk of harm to society.

The bill subjects a person convicted of the following to enhanced sentencing:

Pimping, if the victim is an at-risk person; and
Human trafficking for involuntary servitude, or human trafficking for sexual servitude, if the victim is an at-risk adult. The bill adds the source of money posted to satisfy a monetary condition of release, including the likelihood that the money is derived from criminal activity, to the list of criteria a court may consider in making a determination of the type of bond and conditions of release.

The bill changes terminology related to child prostitution to commercial sexual activity in the crimes of soliciting for child prostitution, pandering of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution, pimping a child, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child, including changing the name of the offenses for soliciting for child prostitution, keeping a place of child prostitution, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child.

In the crime of soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child, the bill adds soliciting a child for commercial sexual activity as a means of committing the offense and requires that when arranging or offering to arrange a meeting, the offender must know that the meeting will facilitate commercial sexual activity with a child.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)