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) introductory portion, (3.5)(b)(I), (3.5)(b)(II), (3.5)(b)(III), (3.5)(c)

• Page 2, Line 4introductory portion, and (3.5)(e); repeal (3.5)(b)(V); and add(3.5)(h) as

• Page 2, Line 5follows:

• Page 3, Line 124-72-204.  Allowance or denial of inspection - grounds -

• Page 3, Line 2procedure - appeal - definitions - repeal. (3.5) (a)  Effective January 1,

• Page 3, Line 31992, Any individual who meets the requirements of this subsection (3.5)

• Page 3, Line 4may request that the address of such individual their address included

• Page 3, Line 5in any public records concerning that individual which them that are

• Page 3, Line 6required to be made, maintained, or kept pursuant tothe followingsections be kept confidential:

• Page 3, Line 7(b) (I)  An individual may make the request of confidentiality

• Page 3, Line 8allowed by this subsection (3.5) if such the individual is a first

• Page 3, Line 9responder or if the individual has reason to believe that such the

• Page 3, Line 10individual, or any member of such the individual's immediate family who

• Page 3, Line 11resides in the same household as such the individual, will be exposed to

• Page 3, Line 12criminal harassment as prohibited in section 18-9-111, C.R.S., or

• Page 3, Line 13otherwise 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 14(II)  A request of confidentiality with respect to records described

• Page 3, Line 15in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3.5) shall be made

• Page 3, Line 16in person in the office of An individual must make the request for

• Page 3, Line 17confidentiality allowed by subsection (3.5)(a) of this section to

• Page 3, Line 18the county clerk and recorder of the county where the individual making

• Page 3, Line 19the request resides. Requests shall be made on application forms

• Page 3, Line 20approved by the secretary of state, after consultation with county clerk

• Page 3, Line 21and recorders The secretary of state shall approve the

• Page 3, Line 22application form for a request for confidentiality. The

• Page 3, Line 23application form shall provide space for the applicant to provide his or

• Page 3, Line 24her their name and address, date of birth, and any other identifying

• Page 3, Line 25information determined by the secretary of state to be necessary to carry

• Page 4, Line 1out the provisions of this subsection (3.5). In addition, an affirmation

• Page 4, Line 2shall must be printed on the form, in the area immediately above a line

• Page 4, Line 3for the applicant's signature and the date, stating the following: "I swear

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

• Page 4, Line 5a member of my immediate family who resides in my household, will be

• Page 4, Line 6exposed to criminal harassment, or otherwise be in danger of bodily harm,

• Page 4, Line 7if my address is not kept confidential or that I am or have been a first

• Page 4, Line 8responder or am or have been the spouse or civil union partner

• Page 4, Line 9of a first responder and am eligible to have my address kept

• Page 4, Line 10confidential pursuant to section 24-72-204 (3.5)." Immediately

• Page 4, Line 11below the signature line, there shall must be printed a notice, in a type

• Page 4, Line 12that is larger than the other information contained on the form, that the

• Page 4, Line 13applicant may be prosecuted for perjury in the second degree under

• Page 4, Line 14section 18-8-503 C.R.S., if the applicant signs such the affirmation and

• Page 4, Line 15does not believe such the affirmation to be true or is not or has not

• Page 4, Line 16been a first responder or the spouse or civil union partner of a first responder.

• Page 4, Line 17(III)  The county clerk and recorder of each county shall provide

• Page 4, Line 18an opportunity for any individual to make the request of confidentiality

• Page 4, Line 19allowed by this subsection (3.5) in person at the time such individual

• Page 4, Line 20makes application to the county clerk and recorder to register to vote or

• Page 4, Line 21to make any change in such individual's registration, and at any other time

• Page 4, Line 22during normal business hours of the office of the county clerk and

• Page 4, Line 23recorder. The county clerk and recorder shall forward a copy of each

• Page 4, Line 24completed application to the secretary of state for purposes of the records

• Page 4, Line 25maintained by him or her pursuant to subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a)

• Page 4, Line 26of this subsection (3.5). The county clerk and recorder shall collect a

• Page 5, Line 1processing fee in the amount of five dollars of which amount two dollars

• Page 5, Line 2and fifty cents shall be transmitted to the secretary of state for the purpose

• Page 5, Line 3of offsetting the secretary of state's costs of processing applications

• Page 5, Line 4forwarded to the secretary of state pursuant to this subparagraph (III). All

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

• Page 5, Line 6subparagraph (III) shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall

• Page 5, Line 7credit the same to the department of state cash fund Each county clerk and recorder shall:

• Page 5, Line 8(A)  Make the confidentiality request application forms available in their office;

• Page 5, Line 9(B)  Provide the confidentiality request application forms

• Page 5, Line 10to interested persons by United States mail, email delivery, or facsimile transmission, if requested;

• Page 5, Line 11(C)  Permit individuals to submit completed and signed

• Page 5, Line 12confidentiality request application forms by United States mail, personal delivery, email delivery, or facsimile transmission; and

• Page 5, Line 13(D)   Process an individual's request for confidentiality

• Page 5, Line 14pursuant to this subsection (3.5) without imposing a processing fee or any other charge.

• Page 5, Line 16(V)  Notwithstanding the amount specified for any fee in

• Page 5, Line 17subparagraph (III) or (IV) of this paragraph (b), the secretary of state by

• Page 5, Line 18rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of one or

• Page 5, Line 19more of the fees credited to the department of state cash fund if necessary

• Page 5, Line 20pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), to reduce the uncommitted reserves of

• Page 5, Line 21the fund to which all or any portion of one or more of the fees is credited.

• Page 5, Line 22After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the

• Page 6, Line 1secretary of state by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase

• Page 6, Line 2the amount of one or more of the fees as provided in section 24-75-402 (4).

• Page 6, Line 3(c)  The custodian of any records described in subsection (3.5)(a)

• Page 6, Line 4of this section that concern an individual who has made a request of for

• Page 6, Line 5confidentiality pursuant to this subsection (3.5) and paid any required

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

• Page 6, Line 7address contained in such records on the ground that disclosure would be

• Page 6, Line 8contrary to the public interest; except that the custodian shall allow the

• Page 6, Line 9inspection of the records by the individual, by any person authorized in

• Page 6, Line 10writing by that individual, and by any individual employed by one of the

• Page 6, Line 11following entities who makes a request to the custodian to inspect the

• Page 6, Line 12records and who provides evidence satisfactory to the custodian that the

• Page 6, Line 13inspection is reasonably related to the authorized purpose of the employing entity:

• Page 6, Line 14(e)  No A person shall not make any false statement in requesting

• Page 6, Line 15any information pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection (3.5) subsection (3.5)(c) or (3.5)(d) of this section.

• Page 6, Line 16(h)  As used in this subsection (3.5), unless the context

• Page 6, Line 17otherwise requires, "first responder" means an elector, as

• Page 6, Line 18defined in section 1-1-104 (12), who is or who has been one of the following:

• Page 6, Line 19(I)  A peace officer, as described in section 16-2.5-101;

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

• Page 6, Line 20(III)  A volunteer firefighter, as defined in section 31-30-1102 (9)(a);

• Page 6, Line 21(IV)  An emergency medical service provider, as defined in section 25-3.5-103 (8);

• Page 7, Line 1(V)  An emergency communications specialist, as defined in section 29-11-101 (10.5);

• Page 7, Line 2(VI)  The spouse or civil union partner of an individual

• Page 7, Line 3specified 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 4SECTION 2.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 7, Line 5takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 7, Line 6ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

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

• Page 7, Line 8of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 7, Line 9act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 7, Line 10effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 7, Line 11November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.