2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 24 - Government - State
Administration
Article 10 - Governmental Immunity
§ 24-10-106.3. Immunity and partial waiver - claims for serious bodily injury or death on public school property or at school-sponsored events resulting from incidents of school violence - short title - definitions - repeal

(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Claire Davis School Safety Act".

(2) Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Charter school" means a charter school or an institute charter school established pursuant to article 30.5 of title 22, C.R.S.

(b) "Crime of violence" means that the person committed, conspired to commit, or attempted to commit one of the following crimes:

(I) Murder;

(II) First degree assault; or

(III) A felony sexual assault, as defined in section 18-3-402, C.R.S.

(c) "Incident of school violence" means an occurrence at a public school or public school-sponsored activity in which a person:

(I) Engaged in a crime of violence; and

(II) The actions described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c) by that person caused serious bodily injury or death to any other person.

(d) "Public school" has the same meaning as provided in section 22-1-101, C.R.S., and includes a charter school or institute charter school.

(e) "School district" means a school district organized pursuant to article 30 of title 22, C.R.S., and the charter school institute established pursuant to section 22-30.5-503, C.R.S.

(f) "Serious bodily injury" means bodily injury that, either at the time of the actual injury or a later time, involves a substantial risk of death, a substantial risk of serious permanent disfigurement, or a substantial risk of protracted loss or impairment of the function of any part or organ of the body.

(3) Recognition of duty of care. All school districts and charter schools and their employees in this state have a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect all students, faculty, and staff from harm from acts committed by another person when the harm is reasonably foreseeable, while such students, faculty, and staff are within the school facilities or are participating in school-sponsored activities.

(4) Limited waiver of sovereign immunity. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a public school district or charter school is immune from liability in all claims for injury that lie in tort or could lie in tort regardless of whether that may be the type of action or the form of relief chosen by the claimant except as otherwise provided in this section or in this article. In addition to any other claims for which the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act" waives sovereign immunity in this article, sovereign immunity is waived under the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act" with respect to school districts and charter schools for a claim of a breach of the duty of care established in subsection (3) of this section by the school district, a charter school, or an employee of the school district or charter school arising from an incident of school violence on or after June 3, 2015, and, with respect to such claims, the provisions of article 12 of title 22, C.R.S., do not apply to school districts and charter schools. An employee of a public school, school district, or a charter school is not subject to suit under this section in his or her individual capacity unless the employee's actions or omissions are willful and wanton.

(5) A public school, school district, or charter school shall not be found negligent under this section solely as a result of not expelling or suspending any student.

(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity by a school district or charter school if the injury arises from any act, or failure to act, of an employee of the school district or charter school if the act is the type of act for which the school district or charter school employee would be or heretofore has been personally immune from liability.

(7) In addition to the immunity provided under this section, the school district and charter school shall also have the same immunity as a school district or charter school employee for any act or failure to act for which a school district or charter school employee would be or heretofore has been personally immune from liability.

(8) No rule of law imposing absolute or strict liability shall be applied in any action filed against a school district or charter school pursuant to this section for serious bodily injury or death caused by a breach of the duty of care, established pursuant to subsection (3) of this section. No liability shall be imposed in any such action unless negligence is proven.

(9) (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (9), the maximum amount of damages that may be recovered under this article in any single occurrence from a school district or charter school for a claim brought under this section is governed by the limits set forth in section 24-10-114 (1).

(b) (I) A plaintiff who files an action under this section for an incident of school violence that occurs on or after June 3, 2015, and on or before July 1, 2017, shall file the action in the district court, and no compensatory damages shall be awarded. The court shall not issue a declaratory judgement regarding the negligence of the public school, school district, or charter school; however, in such action, the plaintiff is entitled to full discovery regarding the incident of school violence.

(II) This paragraph (b) is repealed, effective July 1, 2018.

(10) In order to promote vigorous discovery of events leading to an incident of school violence in any action brought under this section, an offer of judgment by a defendant under section 13-17-202, C.R.S., prior to the completion of discovery, is not deemed rejected if not accepted until fourteen days after the completion of discovery, and the plaintiff is not liable for costs due to not accepting such an offer of judgment until fourteen days after the completion of discovery. If a defendant refuses to answer a complaint, or a default judgment is entered against a defendant for failure to answer a complaint, or a defendant confesses liability in an action brought under this section, the court shall allow full discovery upon request of the plaintiff.