26-0328 · Bill · Series of 2026 · City and County of Denver · Health and Safety

A bill for an ordinance updating the classifications and penalties for municipal criminal offenses.

Official status: Passed

Prime sponsors

Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez — Sponsor
Shontel Lewis — Sponsor
Sarah Parady — Sponsor

Progress (from the official record)

Introduced04/15/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Parady, duly seconded by Council member Sawyer, that Council Bill 26-0328 be postponed to a date certain, carried by the following vote:
Committee action06/29/2026 — Council sat as a Committee of the Whole, commencing at 7:29 p.m., Council President Sandoval presiding, to hear speakers on Council Bill 26-0328. Terrance Carroll, Cuica Montoya, and Marilynn Ackermann spoke in favor of the bill. Jimmy Smrz, David Howard, Carey Marin, and Jen Garner spoke in opposition to the bill. Lindsay Webb, Anaya Robinson, and Leann Fickes spoke neither in favor nor against the bill. Council members Gonzales-Gutierrez delivered the opening remarks. A motion offered by Council member Kashmann, duly seconded by Council member Flynn, that Council Bill 26-0328 be placed upon final consideration and do pass as amended, carried by the following vote:
Recorded action05/13/2026 — A motion offered by Council President Sandoval, duly seconded by Council member Torres, that Council Bill 26-0328 be approved for filing, carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/01/2026 — Council Bill 26-0328 was ordered published
Recorded action06/01/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Sawyer, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be ordered published, was followed by a motion by Council member Alvidrez, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be postponed to 6-22-2026. The motion to postpone to a date certain carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — Council Bill 26-0328 was ordered published
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council Pro-Tem Romero Campbell, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be ordered published, was followed by a motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 1, line 9, insert: “WHEREAS, a class five offense shall be created to make the penalties for city offenses that prohibit the same or identical conduct as CRS civil infractions no greater than those allowed under state law, and not to capture DRMC current regulatory offenses that are not comparable to civil infractions.”". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 1, line 12 strike “removing the struck through language and”. 2. On page 2, lines 20 through 21, strike “Certain offenses present an increased risk of harm to the community and therefore, in the interest of public safety, any” and replace with “Any”. 3. On page 5, line 22, insert “,” after “but are not limited to”. 4. On page 8, line 5, strike “subsection (g), (h), or (i)” and replace with “subsection (d), (e), or (f)”. 5. On page 12, line 25, strike “removing the struck through language and”. 6. On page 20, line 7, strike “section 38-93” and replace with “section 38-157”. 7. On page 20, line 23, strike “section 38-93” and replace with “section 38-157.1”. 8. On page 22, line 28, strike “specialsts” and replace with “specialists”. 9. On page 23, line 4, strike “and” and replace with “who”. 10. On page 23, line 11, strike the first “the”. 11. On page 23, line 21, strike “determine”. 12. On page 23, line 22, strike “Whether” and replace with “Determine whether”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 24, strike lines 1 through 2 and replace with the following: "Effective date. Sections 1 through 23 of this ordinance shall become effective sixty (60) days after final publication. Section 24 of this ordinance shall become effective immediately after final publication." 2. On page 23, line 32, strike “January 31, 2027” and replace with “March 31, 2027”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 3, line 1, insert: “g. Unlawful display or flourishing of weapons, as defined in section 38-119.” 2. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 3, line 5, insert: “k. Firearms prohibited in city-owned or leased buildings where posted, as defined in section 38-131.” 2. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 12, strike lines 20 through 22 and replace with the following: “(d) Violation of this section is a class 3 offense; except that, if the restrained person has previously been convicted of violating a protection order, or if the protection order is issued pursuant to section 18-1-1001, C.R.S., or the basis for issuing the protection order included an allegation of stalking, or the parties were in an intimate relationship, the violation is a class 2 offense. (e) Any sentence imposed for a violation of this section must run consecutively and not concurrently with any sentence imposed for a crime involving domestic violence, as defined in section 14-68.”. 2. On page 23, line 31, insert: “(d) Specifically assess the ordinance language and penalties for violation of a protection order, as defined in 38-44. The working group shall assess and discuss whether the section adequately encourages compliance while also using city resources thoughtfully and avoiding overuse of the criminal legal system.”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 3, line 23, insert: “e. Threats, as defined in section 38-92(a).” 2. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly. 3. On page 19, line 27, strike “class 4 offense” and replace with “class 3 offense”. 4. On page 23, line 31, insert: “(e) Specifically assess the ordinance language and penalties for threats, as defined in section 38-92(a). The working group shall assess and discuss whether the section adequately encourages compliance while also using city resources thoughtfully and avoiding overuse of the criminal legal system and whether the section adequately addresses harm to pets.”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/22/2026 — A motion offered by Council Pro-Tem Romero Campbell, duly seconded by Council member Kashmann, that Council Bill 26-0328 be ordered published as amended, carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/29/2026 — Council Bill 26-0328 was placed upon final consideration and do pass
Recorded action06/29/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Kashmann, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be placed upon final consideration and do pass, was followed by a motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 23, line 2, insert “mutually agreed upon by the Mayor or his designee and the City Council members on the working group” after “Representatives”. 2. On page 23, line 11, insert: “(9) Denver District Attorney’s Office; (10) Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel;”. 3. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly." The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/29/2026 — A motion offered by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 6, line 32, strike “department of public health and environment” and replace with “Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment”. 2. On page 8, line 6, delete “,” after “child”. 3. On page 8, line 8, insert “is” after “child”. 4. On page 23, lines 27 and 28, strike “these sections” and replace with “the Code”. 5. On page 24, strike lines 10 through 12. 6. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly." The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
Recorded action06/29/2026 — signed
Recorded action07/01/2026 — signed
Current official status: PassedAs published by the Colorado General Assembly

Official summary

Official text — shown in English exactly as published by the official source. The official text controls.

Amends Chapters 1, 34, and 38 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code to revise the criminal penalties for municipal crimes. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 5-13-2026. If ordered published, a public hearing will be held on Monday, 6-29-2026. This item was postponed at the 6-1-2026 meeting until 6-22-2026.

Status timeline

Every recorded action on 26-0328, oldest first
Date	Location	Action
04/15/2026	Health and Safety	A motion offered by Council member Parady, duly seconded by Council member Sawyer, that Council Bill 26-0328 be postponed to a date certain, carried by the following vote:
05/13/2026	Health and Safety	A motion offered by Council President Sandoval, duly seconded by Council member Torres, that Council Bill 26-0328 be approved for filing, carried by the following vote:
06/01/2026		Council Bill 26-0328 was ordered published
06/01/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Sawyer, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be ordered published, was followed by a motion by Council member Alvidrez, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be postponed to 6-22-2026. The motion to postpone to a date certain carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026		Council Bill 26-0328 was ordered published
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council Pro-Tem Romero Campbell, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be ordered published, was followed by a motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 1, line 9, insert: “WHEREAS, a class five offense shall be created to make the penalties for city offenses that prohibit the same or identical conduct as CRS civil infractions no greater than those allowed under state law, and not to capture DRMC current regulatory offenses that are not comparable to civil infractions.”". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 1, line 12 strike “removing the struck through language and”. 2. On page 2, lines 20 through 21, strike “Certain offenses present an increased risk of harm to the community and therefore, in the interest of public safety, any” and replace with “Any”. 3. On page 5, line 22, insert “,” after “but are not limited to”. 4. On page 8, line 5, strike “subsection (g), (h), or (i)” and replace with “subsection (d), (e), or (f)”. 5. On page 12, line 25, strike “removing the struck through language and”. 6. On page 20, line 7, strike “section 38-93” and replace with “section 38-157”. 7. On page 20, line 23, strike “section 38-93” and replace with “section 38-157.1”. 8. On page 22, line 28, strike “specialsts” and replace with “specialists”. 9. On page 23, line 4, strike “and” and replace with “who”. 10. On page 23, line 11, strike the first “the”. 11. On page 23, line 21, strike “determine”. 12. On page 23, line 22, strike “Whether” and replace with “Determine whether”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 24, strike lines 1 through 2 and replace with the following: "Effective date. Sections 1 through 23 of this ordinance shall become effective sixty (60) days after final publication. Section 24 of this ordinance shall become effective immediately after final publication." 2. On page 23, line 32, strike “January 31, 2027” and replace with “March 31, 2027”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 3, line 1, insert: “g. Unlawful display or flourishing of weapons, as defined in section 38-119.” 2. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 3, line 5, insert: “k. Firearms prohibited in city-owned or leased buildings where posted, as defined in section 38-131.” 2. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 12, strike lines 20 through 22 and replace with the following: “(d) Violation of this section is a class 3 offense; except that, if the restrained person has previously been convicted of violating a protection order, or if the protection order is issued pursuant to section 18-1-1001, C.R.S., or the basis for issuing the protection order included an allegation of stalking, or the parties were in an intimate relationship, the violation is a class 2 offense. (e) Any sentence imposed for a violation of this section must run consecutively and not concurrently with any sentence imposed for a crime involving domestic violence, as defined in section 14-68.”. 2. On page 23, line 31, insert: “(d) Specifically assess the ordinance language and penalties for violation of a protection order, as defined in 38-44. The working group shall assess and discuss whether the section adequately encourages compliance while also using city resources thoughtfully and avoiding overuse of the criminal legal system.”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 3, line 23, insert: “e. Threats, as defined in section 38-92(a).” 2. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly. 3. On page 19, line 27, strike “class 4 offense” and replace with “class 3 offense”. 4. On page 23, line 31, insert: “(e) Specifically assess the ordinance language and penalties for threats, as defined in section 38-92(a). The working group shall assess and discuss whether the section adequately encourages compliance while also using city resources thoughtfully and avoiding overuse of the criminal legal system and whether the section adequately addresses harm to pets.”.". The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/22/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council Pro-Tem Romero Campbell, duly seconded by Council member Kashmann, that Council Bill 26-0328 be ordered published as amended, carried by the following vote:
06/29/2026		Council Bill 26-0328 was placed upon final consideration and do pass
06/29/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Kashmann, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be placed upon final consideration and do pass, was followed by a motion offered by Council member Lewis, duly seconded by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 23, line 2, insert “mutually agreed upon by the Mayor or his designee and the City Council members on the working group” after “Representatives”. 2. On page 23, line 11, insert: “(9) Denver District Attorney’s Office; (10) Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel;”. 3. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly." The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/29/2026	City Council	A motion offered by Council member Gonzales-Gutierrez, duly seconded by Council member Hinds, that Council Bill 26-0328 be amended in the following particulars: "1. On page 6, line 32, strike “department of public health and environment” and replace with “Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment”. 2. On page 8, line 6, delete “,” after “child”. 3. On page 8, line 8, insert “is” after “child”. 4. On page 23, lines 27 and 28, strike “these sections” and replace with “the Code”. 5. On page 24, strike lines 10 through 12. 6. Renumber subsequent sections accordingly." The motion to amend carried by the following vote:
06/29/2026	City Council	Council sat as a Committee of the Whole, commencing at 7:29 p.m., Council President Sandoval presiding, to hear speakers on Council Bill 26-0328. Terrance Carroll, Cuica Montoya, and Marilynn Ackermann spoke in favor of the bill. Jimmy Smrz, David Howard, Carey Marin, and Jen Garner spoke in opposition to the bill. Lindsay Webb, Anaya Robinson, and Leann Fickes spoke neither in favor nor against the bill. Council members Gonzales-Gutierrez delivered the opening remarks. A motion offered by Council member Kashmann, duly seconded by Council member Flynn, that Council Bill 26-0328 be placed upon final consideration and do pass as amended, carried by the following vote:
06/29/2026	Council President	signed
07/01/2026	Mayor	signed

Full text

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City and County of Denver — Legistar (denver.legistar.com)

Source: City and County of Denver — Legistar (denver.legistar.com) · Data as of 2026-10-27

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