Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation Thursday that aims to improve missing persons investigations, especially those involving women from marginalized groups.

Senate Bill 95 will shorten the timeframe before a person can be reported missing from 24 hours to two hours for minors and eight hours for adults. The bill will also require state law enforcement to collect and report data and trends regarding missing women and girls from marginalized groups, including people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and older adults.

“We’re really excited to have this bill signed into law today,” said bill sponsor Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. “This is incredibly important to make sure we’re collecting this data and we’re able to actually see what is happening and that there are proper protocols being followed for all Coloradans, no matter where they come from or who they are.”

The bill sponsors – three of whom are women of color – said marginalized women are often not prioritized by law enforcement and the media when they go missing. The bill was partly inspired by the case of Aaroné Thompson, a 6-year-old Black girl who went missing in Aurora. 

Thompson’s father reported her as a runaway in 2005, though investigators believe she may have died up to two years before the report. Thompson’s body was never found, and her father wasn’t convicted for her death until 2009.

Nationally, women of color are disproportionately victims of crimes, such as homicide and domestic violence. In 2020, one-third of the nearly 300,000 girls and women reported missing in the U.S. were Black, according to the National Crime Information Center.

“The tragedy of people being missing or lost unfortunately has not been equally shared,” said bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “We have an opportunity as a state to step up on behalf of all people. … For folks across the state, they know that they are secure and they can be better supported in finding their lost or missing loved ones.”

The bill will also require law enforcement to accept missing person reports for any Coloradan or person last believed to be in Colorado, not just within their jurisdiction. Reports can be submitted over the phone or electronically.

The bill previously cleared the legislature with bipartisan support, passing the state Senate in a 33-1 vote and the state House in a 46-17 vote.