SB 18 — Legal Protections for Dignity of Minors

SecondNOTE: Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REREVISED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the Second House LLS NO.

26-0200.01This Shelbybill Rosshas x4510been SENATEprepared BILLfor 26-018the SENATEsignatures SPONSORSHIPof Wallacethe andappropriate Kolker,legislative Hinrichsen,officers Jodeh, Kipp, Weissman HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Froelich and Garcia,the Bacon,Governor. Boesenecker, Brown, Camacho, Carter, Duran, Gilchrist, Joseph, Lindsay, Martinez, McCormick, Nguyen, Paschal, Rydin, Sirota, Smith, Story, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Willford, Woodrow, Zokaie e n m 2 E n 0 U U , O i i H a p Senate Committees House Committees R A Judiciary Judiciary r d A BILL FOR AN ACT d e 2 C ONCERNING LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR THE DIGNITY OF A MINOR , S a 2 U U 1 AND , IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , SUPPRESSING A COURT H g r d A RECORD ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGING A MINOR 'S NAME .

eTo ddetermine Billwhether Summarythe (Note:Governor has signed the bill or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

ThisSENATE summaryBILL applies26-018 toBY thisSENATOR(S) billWallace as introduced and doesKolker, dHinrichsen, 6Jodeh, eKipp, 0Weissman; notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill m 2 passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that T n 4 N g y applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at E i a http://leg.colorado.gov.) S e r R e r F The bill requires the court to suppress a record associated with a 3 petition seeking to change the name of a petitioner who is less than 18 years of age unless the petitioner was previously convicted of a felony.

ialso TheREPRESENTATIVE(S) billFroelich authorizesand theGarcia, courtBacon, toBoesenecker, useBrown, theCamacho, suppressedCarter, courtDuran, recordGilchrist, forJoseph, aLindsay, 2Martinez, eMcCormick,Nguyen,Paschal,Rydin,Sirota,Smith,Story,Titone,Valdez, 2Velasco, administrativeWillford, purposes,Woodrow, butZokaie. the court is prohibited from publishing the T d 3 A n 2 E d a Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.

DoubleCONCERNING underliningLEGAL denotesPROTECTIONS SENATEFOR amendment.THE DIGNITY OF A MINOR ,AND ,IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , SUPPRESSING A COURT RECORD ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGING A MINOR 'S NAME .

S d r Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.n e Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

m F A petitioner'sname or the petitioner's new name online.

The bill authorizes an individual to access a suppressed court record without a court order if theindividualobtainsverbalconsentfromapartytothecaseandsubmits an affidavit to the court, upon penalty of perjury, that the individual has obtained the verbal consent.

In determining parenting time and the allocation of decision-making responsibility, the bill requires the court to consider whether the parties recognize the child's identity as it relates to a protected class.

(7) (a) ASA S USED IN THIS SUBSECTION (7), SUPPRESSED"SUPPRESSED COURT RECORD "MEANSA" MEANS A COURT RECORD THAT ISONLYACCESSIBLEIS TOJUDGESONLY ACCESSIBLE TO JUDGES ;

COURT STAFF;ASTAFF ;A PARTY TO THE CASE ,INCLUDING, INCLUDING A PARTY S'S ATTORNEY ;

AUTHORIZED JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT STAFF ;;AND AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A ________ Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law;

ANDdashes ANthrough INDIVIDUALwords WITHor Anumbers VALIDindicate COURTdeletions ORDERfrom ORexisting AFFIDAVITlaw AUTHORIZINGand ACCESSsuch TOmaterial THEis COURTnot RECORDpart .of the act.

(b)VALID (I) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, IF A PETITIONER IS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF FILING THE PETITION ,A COURT RECORDORDER ASSOCIATEDOR WITHAFFIDAVIT AAUTHORIZING PETITIONACCESS SEEKING TO CHANGE THE PETITIONERSNAMEISASUPPRESSEDCOURTRECORD .NOTWITHSTANDING SECTION 13-15-102,THE SUPPRESSED COURT RECORD MAY BE USED BY THE COURT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES ,BUT THE COURT SHALL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE PUBLISH THE PETITIONER 'S NAME OR THE PETITIONERS NEW NAME ONLINE .

(II)(b)(I) THISBEGINNING SUBSECTIONJULY (7)(b)DOES1,2026, NOTIFAPETITIONERISUNDEREIGHTEEN APPLYYEARS IFOLD AT THE NAMETIME CHANGEOF ISGRANTEDPURSUANTFILING TOTHE SUBSECTIONPETITION (3)OFTHISSECTIONAND,A -2-COURT 018RECORD THEASSOCIATEDWITHAPETITIONSEEKINGTOCHANGE GOODTHEPETITIONER CAUSE'SNAME DESCRIBEDIS INA SUBSECTIONSUPPRESSED (3)(b)(IOFCOURT THISRECORD SECTION. APPLIES.

(III) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTIONSECTION (7)(b)(IOF13-15-102, THIS SECTIO, IF A PERSON PETITIONS THE COURTSUPPRESSED TO SUPPRESS A COURT RECORD ASSOCIATEDMAY WITHBE AUSED PETITIONBY TO CHANGE THE PETITIONERSCOURT NAMEFOR THATADMINISTRATIVE ISPURPOSES FILED,BUT BEFOREJULYTHE 1, 2026,THE COURT SHALL GRANTNOT THEUNDER REQUESTANY ANDCIRCUMSTANCEPUBLISHTHEPETITIONER ORDERSNAMEORTHEPETITIONER THE'SNEW RECORDSNAME SUPPRESSEDONLINE .

(c)(II) ATHIS COURTSUBSECTION SHALL(7)(b)DOES GRANTNOT ANAPPLY INDIVIDUALIFTHE ACCESSNAME TOCHANGE AIS SUPPRESSEDCOURTRECORDIFTHEINDIVIDUALOBTAINSVERBALCONSENTGRANTED FROMPURSUANT A PARTY TO THESUBSECTION CASE(3)OFTHIS SECTION AND SUBMITS AN AFFIDAVIT TO THE COURT,GOOD UNDERCAUSE PENALTYDESCRIBED OFIN PERJURYSUBSECTION ,THAT(3)(b)(IIOF THETHIS INDIVIDUALSECTION HASAPPLIES. OBTAINED THE VERBAL CONSENT .

SECTION2.(III) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION (7)(b)(IOF THIS SECTION,IF APERSONPETITIONSTHECOURTTOSUPPRESSACOURTRECORDASSOCIATED WITHAPETITIONTOCHANGETHEPETITIONER 'SNAMETHATISFILEDBEFORE JULY 1, 2026, THE COURT SHALL GRANT THE REQUEST AND ORDER THE RECORDS SUPPRESSED .

InColoradoRevisedStatutes,13-15-102,add(3.5)(c) asA follows:COURTSHALLGRANTANINDIVIDUALACCESSTOASUPPRESSED COURT RECORD IF THE INDIVIDUAL OBTAINS VERBAL CONSENT FROM A PARTY TO THE CASE AND SUBMITS AN AFFIDAVIT TO THE COURT ,UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY ,THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAS OBTAINED THE VERBAL CONSENT .

SECTION 2.

In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-15-102, add (3.5) as follows:

(3.5) APETITIONERISNOTA REQUIREDTOGIVEPETITIONER PUBLICNOTICEOFAIS NOT REQUIRED TO GIVE PUBLIC NOTICE OF A NAME CHANGE AS REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION (1)OF(1) OF THIS SECTION IF THE PETITION IS BEING FILED ,ORBY,OR ON BEHALF OF,AOF ,A PERSON WHO IS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD .

The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservationofthepublicpeace,health,orsafetyorforappropriationsforPAGE 2-SENATE BILL 26-018 preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.

-3-____________________________ 018____________________________ James Rashad Coleman, Sr.

Julie McCluskie PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Esther van Mourik Vanessa Reilly SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVED________________________________________ (Date and Time) _________________________________________ Jared S.

Polis GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 26-018