Committee extends cold‑case task force to 2039, cites need for continuity in unsolved investigations

The Senate Judiciary Committee on March 16 voted unanimously to advance House Bill 11‑85, a sunset‑extension bill that would continue Colorado’s cold case task force through 2039 and permit the executive director to appoint additional technical experts.

The bill’s sponsor said the change lowers the intensity of the sunset review from a Title 24 review to a Title 2 review, appropriate for advisory committees, and noted the task force does not carry a state cost per the fiscal note.

A department representative told the committee there are currently about 1,965 cases in the cold‑case database maintained by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, of which roughly 1,300 are homicide cases; witnesses said the task force helps rural agencies and brings emerging forensic techniques to investigations.

Monica Snowbird, representing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives task force, testified that an extension strengthens continuity for families of unsolved cases and supports interagency cooperation.

The committee moved HB11‑85 to the Committee of the Whole and placed it on the consent calendar with no objection; the roll call recorded a 7–0 result.