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Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor (Initiative #108)

On the ballot

Colorado · November 2026 general election · Citizen initiative · Election day November 3, 2026
Topics: Criminal justice, Public safety

In plain language

This initiated statute would change Colorado law on human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude. It would raise the offense from a class 2 felony to a class 1 felony, which carries life in prison without the possibility of parole or release. It would also expand the offense to cover knowingly trading anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor. Under current law, courts sentence within the presumptive range for a class 2 felony. The change would take effect January 1, 2027.

Fiscal impact

Legislative Council Staff's initial fiscal impact statement (September 2, 2025) projects no change in state revenue, TABOR refunds, or state FTE. State General Fund expenditures are estimated at $0 in FY 2026-27, about $50,000 in FY 2041-42, and about $100,000 in FY 2042-43, reflecting longer prison stays that begin decades after the effective date. Local government impacts are also identified. Legislative Council Staff notes it may revise this estimate for the ballot information booklet (Blue Book).

Summarized from the official fiscal analysis listed in the sources below. Figures are the state's, not this site's.

What supporters and opponents say

These are summaries of arguments made by the named organizations, drawn from the sources listed below. They are their claims, not this site's, and this site takes no position on the measure.

What supporters say

  • Protect Kids Colorado, the campaign that gathered signatures for the measure, says the average age at which a child is first bought and sold into sex trafficking is 14, and that a penalty of life without parole means "certain punishment, without a chance to ever brutalize another child."
  • The Colorado Catholic Conference and Focus on the Family are listed by Ballotpedia as organizational supporters of the measure.

Attributed to Protect Kids Colorado, Colorado Catholic Conference, Focus on the Family.

What opponents say

  • Families Not Politics, a campaign opposing the Protect Kids Colorado measures, describes the initiative as "a Trojan horse using the language of child protection to advance a broader political agenda rather than reflect the best practices for supporting survivors."
  • Ballotpedia reports it has not located an organized campaign committee registered in opposition to this measure.

Attributed to Families Not Politics.

Official ballot language

Reproduced verbatim from the state's certified ballot text.

Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes modifying existing law concerning human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, and, in connection therewith, creating new law expanding human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to include knowingly trading anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor and increasing the penalty to be life in prison without parole or release?

Sources

Everything on this page traces to these sources. Follow them to read the original documents.

Last updated . How this page is sourced and corrected is described in the correction policy.