House Bill 25-1195 Preamended

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning the ability of a first responder or the spouse of

• Page 1, Line 102a first responder to request that the address in their

• Page 1, Line 103voter registration records maintained by the county

• Page 1, Line 104clerk and recorder or the secretary of state be kept

• Page 1, Line 105confidential.

Bill Summary

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)

Beginning January 1, 2026, an elector or the spouse of an elector who is or has been a peace officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, emergency medical service provider, or other individual who responds to a public safety emergency (first responder) may request that the address included in the following records concerning the first responder be kept confidential (address confidentiality):

• Voter registration records in the custody of a county clerk and recorder; and
• Voter registration records in the centralized statewide registration system maintained by the secretary of state (secretary).

A first responder may request address confidentiality on the electronic voter registration form or record created by the secretary. The secretary is required to ensure that the electronic voter registration form and an elector's voter registration record includes a place for a first responder to indicate that they are a first responder and request address confidentiality. The secretary is also required to ensure that when a first responder indicates on their voter registration form or record that they are requesting address confidentiality, the first responder is automatically directed to an electronic application form that requests certain information to allow the secretary to implement the address confidentiality request.

The secretary is required to provide a copy of each completed application to the clerk and recorder of the county where the first responder is registered to vote for the purpose of implementing address confidentiality for the records maintained by the county clerk and recorder.

The secretary is prohibited from charging a fee in connection with a first responder's request for address confidentiality.

The custodian of any voter registration records that concern a first responder who has requested address confidentiality is required to deny the right of inspection of the first responder's address contained in the records on the ground that disclosure would be contrary to the public interest.

A first responder's request for address confidentiality is not a public record subject to public inspection.

• This Unofficial Version Includes Committee

• Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading

• Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-72-204, amend

• Page 2, Line 3(3.5)(a), (3.5)(b), (3.5)(c) introductory portion, and (3.5)(e); and add (3.5)(h) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 424-72-204.  Allowance or denial of inspection - grounds -

• Page 3, Line 1procedure - appeal - definitions - repeal. (3.5) (a)  Effective January 1,

• Page 3, Line 21992, Any individual who meets the requirements of this subsection (3.5)

• Page 3, Line 3may request that the address of such individual their address included

• Page 3, Line 4in any public records concerning that individual which them that are

• Page 3, Line 5required to be made, maintained, or kept pursuant to the following sections sections 1-2-227, 1-2-301, or 24-6-202 be kept confidential.

• Page 3, Line 6(I)  Sections 1-2-227 and 1-2-301, C.R.S.;

• Page 3, Line 7(II)  (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 1337, § 1, effective May 30, 2000.)

• Page 3, Line 8(III)  Section 24-6-202.

• Page 3, Line 9(b) (I)  An individual may make the request of confidentiality

• Page 3, Line 10allowed by this subsection (3.5) if such the individual is a first

• Page 3, Line 11responder or if the individual has reason to believe that such the

• Page 3, Line 12individual, or any member of such the individual's immediate family who

• Page 3, Line 13resides in the same household as such the individual, will be exposed to

• Page 3, Line 14criminal harassment as prohibited in section 18-9-111, C.R.S., or

• Page 3, Line 15otherwise be in danger of bodily harm, if such the individual's address is not kept confidential in accordance with this subsection (3.5).

• Page 3, Line 16(II)  A request of confidentiality with respect to records described

• Page 3, Line 17in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3.5) shall be made

• Page 3, Line 18in person in the office of An individual must make the request for

• Page 3, Line 19confidentiality allowed by subsection (3.5)(a) of this section to

• Page 3, Line 20the county clerk and recorder of the county where the individual making

• Page 3, Line 21the request resides. Requests shall be made on application forms

• Page 3, Line 22approved by the secretary of state, after consultation with county clerk

• Page 3, Line 23and recorders The secretary of state shall approve the

• Page 3, Line 24application form for a request for confidentiality. The

• Page 4, Line 1application form shall provide space for the applicant to provide his or

• Page 4, Line 2her their name and address, date of birth, and any other identifying

• Page 4, Line 3information determined by the secretary of state to be necessary to carry

• Page 4, Line 4out the provisions of this subsection (3.5). In addition, an affirmation

• Page 4, Line 5shall must be printed on the form, in the area immediately above a line

• Page 4, Line 6for the applicant's signature and the date, stating the following: "I swear

• Page 4, Line 7or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that I have reason to believe that I, or

• Page 4, Line 8a member of my immediate family who resides in my household, will be

• Page 4, Line 9exposed to criminal harassment, or otherwise be in danger of bodily harm,

• Page 4, Line 10if my address is not kept confidential or that I am or have been a first

• Page 4, Line 11responder or am or have been the spouse or civil union partner

• Page 4, Line 12of a first responder and am eligible to have my address kept

• Page 4, Line 13confidential pursuant to section 24-72-204 (3.5)." Immediately

• Page 4, Line 14below the signature line, there shall must be printed a notice, in a type

• Page 4, Line 15that is larger than the other information contained on the form, that the

• Page 4, Line 16applicant may be prosecuted for perjury in the second degree under

• Page 4, Line 17section 18-8-503 C.R.S., if the applicant signs such the affirmation and

• Page 4, Line 18does not believe such the affirmation to be true or is not or has not

• Page 4, Line 19been a first responder or the spouse or civil union partner of a first responder.

• Page 4, Line 20(III)  The county clerk and recorder of each county shall provide

• Page 4, Line 21an opportunity for any individual to make the request of confidentiality

• Page 4, Line 22allowed by this subsection (3.5) in person at the time such individual

• Page 4, Line 23makes application to the county clerk and recorder to register to vote or

• Page 4, Line 24to make any change in such individual's registration, and at any other time

• Page 4, Line 25during normal business hours of the office of the county clerk and

• Page 4, Line 26recorder. The county clerk and recorder shall forward a copy of each

• Page 5, Line 1completed application to the secretary of state for purposes of the records

• Page 5, Line 2maintained by him or her pursuant to subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a)

• Page 5, Line 3of this subsection (3.5). The county clerk and recorder shall collect a

• Page 5, Line 4processing fee in the amount of five dollars of which amount two dollars

• Page 5, Line 5and fifty cents shall be transmitted to the secretary of state for the purpose

• Page 5, Line 6of offsetting the secretary of state's costs of processing applications

• Page 5, Line 7forwarded to the secretary of state pursuant to this subparagraph (III). All

• Page 5, Line 8processing fees received by the secretary of state pursuant to this

• Page 5, Line 9subparagraph (III) shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall

• Page 5, Line 10credit the same to the department of state cash fund Each county clerk and recorder shall:

• Page 5, Line 11(A)  Make the confidentiality request application forms available in their office;

• Page 5, Line 12(B)  Provide the confidentiality request application forms

• Page 5, Line 13to interested persons by United States mail, email delivery, or facsimile transmission, if requested;

• Page 5, Line 14(C)  Permit individuals to submit completed and signed

• Page 5, Line 15confidentiality request application forms by United States mail, personal delivery, email delivery, or facsimile transmission; and

• Page 5, Line 16(D)   Process an individual's request for confidentiality

• Page 5, Line 17pursuant to this subsection (3.5) without imposing a processing fee or any other charge.

• Page 5, Line 18(IV)  The secretary of state shall provide an opportunity for any

• Page 5, Line 19individual to make the request of confidentiality allowed by paragraph (a)

• Page 5, Line 20of this subsection (3.5), with respect to the records described in

• Page 5, Line 21subparagraph (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3.5). The secretary

• Page 5, Line 22of state may charge a processing fee, not to exceed five dollars, for each

• Page 6, Line 1such request. All processing fees collected by the secretary of state

• Page 6, Line 2pursuant to this subparagraph (IV) or subparagraph (III) of this paragraph

• Page 6, Line 3(b) shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the department of state cash fund.

• Page 6, Line 4(V)  Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in

• Page 6, Line 5subparagraph (III) or (IV) of this paragraph (b), the secretary of state by

• Page 6, Line 6rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or

• Page 6, Line 7more of the fees credited to the department of state cash fund if necessary

• Page 6, Line 8pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), to reduce the uncommitted reserves of

• Page 6, Line 9the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited.

• Page 6, Line 10After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the

• Page 6, Line 11secretary of state by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase

• Page 6, Line 12the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4).

• Page 6, Line 13(c)  The custodian of any records described in subsection (3.5)(a)

• Page 6, Line 14of this section that concern an individual who has made a request of for

• Page 6, Line 15confidentiality pursuant to this subsection (3.5) and paid any required

• Page 6, Line 16processing fee shall deny the right of inspection of the individual's

• Page 6, Line 17address contained in such records on the ground that disclosure would be

• Page 6, Line 18contrary to the public interest; except that the custodian shall allow the

• Page 6, Line 19inspection of the records by the individual, by any person authorized in

• Page 6, Line 20writing by that individual, and by any individual employed by one of the

• Page 6, Line 21following entities who makes a request to the custodian to inspect the

• Page 6, Line 22records and who provides evidence satisfactory to the custodian that the

• Page 6, Line 23inspection is reasonably related to the authorized purpose of the employing entity:

• Page 6, Line 24(e)  No A person shall not make any false statement in requesting

• Page 7, Line 1any information pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (3.5) subsection (3.5)(c) or (3.5)(d) of this section.

• Page 7, Line 2(h)  As used in this subsection (3.5), unless the context

• Page 7, Line 3otherwise requires, "first responder" means an elector, as

• Page 7, Line 4defined in section 1-1-104 (12), who is or who has been one of the following:

• Page 7, Line 5(I)  A peace officer, as described in section 16-2.5-101;

• (II)  A firefighter, as defined in section 29-5-203 (10);

• Page 7, Line 6(III)  A volunteer firefighter, as defined in section 31-30-1102 (9)(a);

• Page 7, Line 7(IV)  An emergency medical service provider, as defined in section 25-3.5-103 (8);

• Page 7, Line 8(V)  An emergency communications specialist, as defined in section 29-11-101 (10.5);

• Page 7, Line 9(VI)  The spouse or civil union partner of an individual

• Page 7, Line 10specified in subsection (3.5)(h)(I), (3.5)(h)(II), (3.5)(h)(III), (3.5)(h)(IV), or (3.5)(h)(V) of this section.

• Page 7, Line 11SECTION 2.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 7, Line 12takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 7, Line 13ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

• Page 7, Line 14that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V

• Page 7, Line 15of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 7, Line 16act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 7, Line 17effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 7, Line 18November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.