Committee approves technical fix to fatal-crash reporting to get toxicology results to CDOT
March 25, 2026 | 2026 Legislature CO, Colorado
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The Senate Transportation and Energy Committee advanced House Bill 26-1127 after hearing from law-enforcement, safety advocates and coroners that more timely and consistent toxicology reporting is needed to understand and prevent fatal crashes.
The bill aligns reporting by directing county coroners to submit toxicology and blood-alcohol results electronically to CDOT on a quarterly basis, rather than the current statutory route to the Department of Revenue. Sponsors also offered an amendment to require law-enforcement agencies to file amended crash reports when a crash participant dies within 30 days from crash-related injuries; that amendment was adopted.
Officer Josh Downing of the Colorado State Patrol, who chairs the state task force on impaired driving, told the committee the changes follow recommendations from the task force and would give safety professionals the “exact map of what we need to have a bigger impact on impaired driving.” He said the toxicology panels include marijuana and dozens of other substances.
Fran Lanzer representing Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the change modernizes an existing reporting duty, moves from monthly written to quarterly electronic submissions, and builds flexibility for labs whose drug panels can take 10–12 weeks. “This proposal allows coroners to submit results when they become available instead of forcing them into unrealistic deadlines,” Lanzer said.
The committee adopted amendments (L004 and L005) and voted to move the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the recorded vote was 7 to 1.
Next steps: HB 26-1127 will go to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration and, if approved there, proceed through the legislative process.
The bill aligns reporting by directing county coroners to submit toxicology and blood-alcohol results electronically to CDOT on a quarterly basis, rather than the current statutory route to the Department of Revenue. Sponsors also offered an amendment to require law-enforcement agencies to file amended crash reports when a crash participant dies within 30 days from crash-related injuries; that amendment was adopted.
Officer Josh Downing of the Colorado State Patrol, who chairs the state task force on impaired driving, told the committee the changes follow recommendations from the task force and would give safety professionals the “exact map of what we need to have a bigger impact on impaired driving.” He said the toxicology panels include marijuana and dozens of other substances.
Fran Lanzer representing Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the change modernizes an existing reporting duty, moves from monthly written to quarterly electronic submissions, and builds flexibility for labs whose drug panels can take 10–12 weeks. “This proposal allows coroners to submit results when they become available instead of forcing them into unrealistic deadlines,” Lanzer said.
The committee adopted amendments (L004 and L005) and voted to move the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the recorded vote was 7 to 1.
Next steps: HB 26-1127 will go to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration and, if approved there, proceed through the legislative process.
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