Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-1.2-127 – Tribal-state agreements - purpose - requirements.

(1)
1. (a) The state department shall continue to make good faith efforts to follow and revise tribal-state child welfare agreements with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe. The state department shall revise a tribal-state child welfare agreement upon the request of, and in conjunction with, the requesting Indian tribe.
2. (b) The state department may also enter into a tribal-state child welfare agreement with any Indian tribe outside of Colorado that has a significant number of member children or membership-eligible children residing in this state.
(2) The purposes of a tribal-state child welfare agreement are to promote the continued existence and integrity of the Indian tribe as a political entity and to protect the vital interests of Indian children in securing and maintaining political, cultural, and social relationships with their tribe and family.
(3) A tribal-state child welfare agreement may include agreements regarding default jurisdiction over cases in which the state courts and tribal courts have concurrent jurisdiction; the transfer of cases between state courts and tribal courts; the assessment, removal, placement, custody, and adoption of Indian children; and any other child welfare services provided to Indian children.
(4) A tribal-state child welfare agreement must:
1. (a) Provide for the cooperative delivery of child welfare services to Indian children in Colorado, including the utilization, to the extent available, of services provided by the Indian tribe or an organization whose mission is to serve the American Indian or Alaska Native population to implement the terms of the tribal-state child welfare agreement; and
2. (b) If services provided by the Indian tribe or an organization whose mission is to serve the American Indian or Alaska Native population are unavailable, provide for the state department's use of community services and resources developed specifically for Indian families and that have the demonstrated capacity to provide culturally relevant and effective services to Indian children.

Source: L. 2025: Entire article added, (HB 25-1204), ch. 338, p. 1813, § 2, effective August 6.