SB 18: Legal Protections for Dignity of Minors - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 6 edits · Apr 6, 2026

MODERATE

This bill finalizes the suppression of court records for minors seeking name changes, ensuring their privacy is protected from public online access. It clarifies that these records are restricted to judges and court staff, while allowing access only with verbal consent from a party to the case. The act also exempts minors from the requirement to publish public notice of their name change.

Scope change

The bill's scope was refined to explicitly include 'authorized judicial department staff' as permitted access to suppressed records and to clarify that the suppression rules apply to petitions filed on or after July 1, 2026, with a retroactive provision for petitions filed before that date.

DEFINITION

Added 'authorized judicial department staff' to the list of individuals permitted to access suppressed court records.

REQUIREMENT

Added a specific prohibition against publishing a minor's name or new name online, regardless of administrative use of the record.

Exempted minors from the legal requirement to publish public notice of a name change.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that the suppression rules apply to petitioners under 18 at the time of filing, with a specific exception for name changes granted under 'good cause' provisions.

ADDED

Added a provision allowing individuals to access suppressed records if they obtain verbal consent from a party and submit an affidavit under penalty of perjury.

TIMELINE

Established July 1, 2026, as the effective date for suppression rules on new petitions, while granting courts authority to suppress records for petitions filed before that date.

Revised → Rerevised · 3 edits · Apr 2, 2026

MINOR

The bill text was updated from 'Revised' to 'Rerevised' to reflect all amendments adopted in the Second House, including a new unamended 3rd reading date of April 2, 2026. Additionally, a significant number of legislators were added to the House sponsorship list, expanding the coalition supporting the bill.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the modifications are procedural updates to the legislative record and sponsorship roster.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated from 'Revised' to 'Rerevised' to indicate that all Second House amendments have been incorporated.

A new line was added stating '3rd Reading Unamended' with a specific date of April 2, 2026, for the House.

Thirteen new names were added to the House sponsorship list, expanding the group of co-sponsors.

Reengrossed → Revised · 4 edits · Apr 1, 2026

MODERATE

The bill text has been updated from a 'Reengrossed' version to a 'Revised' version, indicating that amendments adopted during the second reading in the second house have been incorporated. The title and subject matter regarding legal protections for minors and name change records remain unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains the same; the change reflects the procedural status of the legislation rather than a change in its substantive legal effect.

TECHNICAL

The header status was changed from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' to reflect that all amendments adopted in the second house have been included.

A new stamp indicating '2nd Reading Unamended' dated April 1, 2026, was added to the text.

The line stating 'Adopted in the House of Introduction' was removed as it is no longer applicable to this version.

Additional blank lines were inserted into the text, likely for formatting or spacing purposes.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 3 edits · Feb 24, 2026

MINOR

The bill title was updated from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' to reflect that it now includes all amendments adopted in the House of Introduction. The sponsor list was expanded to include four new legislators. The bill summary section was updated to clarify that the current text represents the 3rd Reading Unamended version and to provide a specific date and location for the future summary of the reengrossed version.

TECHNICAL

Added four new sponsors (Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Weissman) to the Senate sponsorship list.

Changed the bill status header from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' to accurately reflect the legislative stage.

Inserted a notice stating the summary applies to the 3rd Reading Unamended version and directs users to the official website for the reengrossed summary.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Feb 23, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' to reflect amendments adopted during the second reading. The substantive policy changes include a new requirement for courts to suppress records related to minor name change petitions unless the petitioner has a prior felony conviction, and a new exemption allowing minors to file name change petitions without public notice. Additionally, the bill adds a specific factor for courts to consider regarding parental recognition of a child's identity as it relates to protected classes when determining parenting time and decision-making responsibility.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a new provision regarding parental recognition of a child's identity as a relevant factor in custody determinations, and it added a specific exemption for minors regarding public notice requirements for name changes.

REQUIREMENT

Courts must now suppress records associated with petitions to change a minor's name unless the petitioner has a prior felony conviction.

Courts must consider whether a parent recognizes the child's identity as it relates to a protected class when determining parenting time and decision-making responsibility.

ELIGIBILITY

Minors filing for a name change are no longer required to give public notice of the petition.

TIMELINE

The suppression of records for minors is now effective beginning July 1, 2026.

Legal Protections for Dignity of Minors

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