Bipartisan Crime Lab Bill Passes Unanimously in House and Senate
DENVER, Colo. (KREX) – Yesterday, a bill targeting crime lab misconduct passed the House and senate with unanimous bipartisan support.
Sponsors of HB25-1275 say the bill establishes procedures to prevent lab misconduct within the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado representative Matt Soper, a prime sponsor of the bill, tells us it all starts with transparency.
'If a state actor has had misconduct in the state lab,' says Soper, 'they must notify the prosecutor, defense attorneys in the case, and the victims, and the defendant in the case, so that all the parties know that their case was possibly implicated.'
Rep. Soper told KREX the bill also includes a duty for the state lab to investigate reported misconduct and provides a pathway for individuals who are wrongly convicted to have their case reviewed by the state.
The legislation came in response to the 102-count felony indictment of Yvonne 'Missy' Woods, a former forensic scientist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation who is alleged to have manipulated data in over one thousand cases during her thirty-year career.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation director Chris Schaefer released a statement on the bill: 'The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is committed to integrity and transparency and this bill supports those values. We believe this bill is a significant step forward in reinforcing public confidence in the work of our crime laboratories. The provisions for reporting, notification, and post-conviction relief are crucial for accountability and for upholding the rights of all individuals involved in the justice system.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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