Colorado § 13-14.5-102 - Definitions.

§ 13-14.5-102. Definitions.

As used in this article 14.5, unless the context otherwise clearly requires:

(1) "Community member" means:

(a) A licensed health-care professional or mental health professional who, through a direct professional relationship, provided care to the respondent or the respondent's child within six months before requesting the protection order;

(b) An educator who, through a direct professional relationship, interacted with the respondent or the respondent's child within six months before requesting the protection order; or

(c) A co-responder who is part of a co-responder community response, as defined in section 24-32-3501 (8)(d), who, in their capacity as a co-responder, or a community member, as defined in this section, who, as part of a law enforcement agency or emergency response team, provides on-site crisis assessment, de-escalation, or intervention services to individuals in crisis, who interacted with the respondent or the respondent's child within six months before requesting the protection order but who is not a law enforcement officer who responded to a behavioral health-related call involving the respondent.

(2) "Educator" means a teacher employed to instruct students or a school administrator in a school district, private school, charter school institute, or an individual charter school; or a faculty member at an institution of higher education, including a community college, a local district college, or an area technical college.

(3) "Extreme risk protection order" means either a temporary order or a continuing order granted pursuant to this article 14.5.

(4) "Faculty member" means a president, dean, professor, administrator, instructor, or research worker at an institution of higher education.

(5) "Family or household member" means, with respect to a respondent, any:

(a) Person related by blood, marriage, or adoption to the respondent;

(b) Person who has a child in common with the respondent, regardless of whether such person has been married to the respondent or has lived together with the respondent at any time;

(c) Person who regularly resides or regularly resided with the respondent within the last six months;

(d) Domestic partner of the respondent;

(e) Person who has a biological or legal parent-child relationship with the respondent, including stepparents and stepchildren and grandparents and grandchildren;

(f) Person who is acting or has acted as the respondent's legal guardian; and

(g) Person in any other relationship described in section 18-6-800.3 (2) with the respondent.

(6) "Firearm" has the same meaning as in section 18-1-901 (3)(h).

(6.5) "Institutional petitioner" means an entity that employs or contracts with a community member as defined in this section, including, but not limited to:

(a) A school district;

(b) A private school;

(c) The state charter school institute created in section 22-30.5-503;

(d) An individual district charter school or institute charter school;

(e) An institution of higher education, including a community college, a local district college, or an area technical college;

(f) A hospital or health-care facility licensed in accordance with the requirements of part 1 of article 3 of title 25; or

(g) A behavioral health or substance use disorder treatment facility, behavioral health entities, or other facility where behavioral health crisis services are offered.

(7) "Law enforcement officer" means a peace officer that is:

(a) Employed by a political subdivision of the state and certified by the P.O.S.T. board pursuant to section 16-2.5-102;

(b) Authorized by section 16-2.5-113 when assistance is requested by an individual or entity pursuant to section 24-33.5-412;

(c) Authorized by section 16-2.5-114 and who interacted with the respondent in the scope of the law enforcement officer's official duties;

(d) Employed by a district attorney, designated by a district attorney, and authorized by section 16-2.5-132 or 16-2.5-133;

(e) Employed by the department of law, designated by the attorney general, and authorized by section 16-2.5-128, 16-2.5-129, or 16-2.5-130;

(f) Authorized by section 16-2.5-136, 16-2.5-137, or 16-2.5-138;

(g) Authorized by section 16-2.5-120; or

(h) Authorized by section 16-2.5-149.

(8) "Licensed health-care professional" means a school nurse who holds a current nursing license through the department of regulatory agencies and who has applied for or holds a special services license from the department of education pursuant to article 60.5 of title 22 or a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who is a primary provider of health services to a respondent; a psychiatrist; or a licensed emergency room medical care provider, licensed pursuant to title 12.

(9) "Mental health professional" means a psychologist, licensed professional social worker, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, or addiction counselor licensed, registered, or certified pursuant to article 245 of title 12; a psychologist candidate, clinical social worker candidate, marriage and family therapist candidate, licensed professional counselor candidate, or addiction counselor candidate registered pursuant to section 12-245-304 (3), 12-245-404 (4), 12-245-504 (4), 12-245-604 (4), or 12-245-804 (3.7), respectively; a school counselor who holds a special services provider license with a school counselor endorsement issued pursuant to article 60.5 of title 22 or who is otherwise endorsed or accredited by a national association to provide school counseling services; school psychologist licensed pursuant to section 22-60.5-210; school social worker who has obtained the special services license with social work endorsement issued pursuant to article 60.5 of title 22; or an unlicensed psychotherapist registered pursuant to section 12-245-703.

(10) "Petitioner" means the person who petitions for an extreme risk protection order pursuant to this article 14.5.

(11) "Respondent" means the person, including a person under eighteen years old, who is identified as the respondent in a petition filed pursuant to this article 14.5.

Source: L. 2023: Entire article R&RE, (SB 23-170), ch. 124, p. 461, § 1, effective April 28. L. 2026: (1), (2), and (11) amended and (6.5) added, (SB 26-004), ch. 36, p. 152, § 1, effective April 6.