Text of CO SB 18 (2026)

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED LLS NO. 26-0200.01 Shelby Ross x4510 SENATE BILL 26-018 Senate Committees House Committees Judiciary A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR THE DIGNITY OF A MINOR, 101 AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, SUPPRESSING A COURT 102 RECORD ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGING A MINOR'S NAME AND 103 REQUIRING THE COURT TO CONSIDER AS A RELEVANT FACTOR 104 WHEN DETERMINING PARENTING TIME AND ALLOCATION OF 105 DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBILITY WHETHER THE MINOR'S 106 PARENT RECOGNIZES THE CHILD'S IDENTITY AS IT RELATES TO 107 A PROTECTED CLASS. 108 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 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Wallace and Kolker, HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Froelich and Garcia, Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment. Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law. Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. http://leg.colorado.gov.) The bill requires the court to suppress a record associated with a 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. The bill authorizes the court to use the suppressed court record for administrative purposes, but the court is prohibited from publishing the petitioner's name or the petitioner's new name online. The bill authorizes an individual to access a suppressed court record without a court order if the individual obtains verbal consent from a party to the case and submits 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. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: 1 SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-15-101, add (7) 2 as follows: 3 13-15-101. Petition - proceedings - applicability - definition. 4 (7) (a) AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION (7), "SUPPRESSED COURT 5 RECORD" MEANS A COURT RECORD THAT IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO JUDGES; 6 COURT STAFF; A PARTY TO THE CASE, INCLUDING A PARTY'S ATTORNEY; 7 AUTHORIZED JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT STAFF; AND AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A 8 VALID COURT ORDER AUTHORIZING ACCESS TO THE COURT RECORD. 9 (b) (I) IF A PETITIONER IS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD, A COURT 10 RECORD ASSOCIATED WITH A PETITION SEEKING TO CHANGE THE 11 PETITIONER'S NAME IS A SUPPRESSED COURT RECORD. THE SUPPRESSED 12 COURT RECORD MAY BE USED BY THE COURT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE 13 PURPOSES, BUT THE COURT SHALL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE 14 PUBLISH THE PETITIONER'S NAME OR THE PETITIONER'S NEW NAME ONLINE. 15 (II) THIS SUBSECTION (7)(b) DOES NOT APPLY IF THE NAME 16 SB26-018 -2- CHANGE IS GRANTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION AND 1 THE GOOD CAUSE DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (3)(b)(II) OF THIS SECTION 2 APPLIES. 3 (c) A COURT SHALL ISSUE AN ORDER AUTHORIZING AN INDIVIDUAL 4 ACCESS TO A SUPPRESSED COURT RECORD IF THE INDIVIDUAL OBTAINS 5 VERBAL CONSENT FROM A PARTY TO THE CASE AND SUBMITS AN AFFIDAVIT 6 TO THE COURT, UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAS 7 OBTAINED THE VERBAL CONSENT. 8 SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-10-124, amend 9 (1.5)(b) introductory portion; and add (1.5)(a)(XII) and (1.5)(b)(VI) as 10 follows: 11 14-10-124. Best interests of the child. 12 (1.5) Allocation of parental responsibilities. The court shall 13 determine the allocation of parental responsibilities, including parenting 14 time and decision-making responsibilities, in accordance with the best 15 interests of the child, giving paramount consideration to the child's safety 16 and the physical, mental, and emotional conditions and needs of the child 17 as follows: 18 (a) Determination of parenting time. The court, upon the motion 19 of either party or upon its own motion, may make provisions for parenting 20 time that the court finds are in the best interests of the child, with the 21 child's safety always paramount, unless the court finds, after a hearing, 22 that parenting time by the party would endanger the child's physical health 23 or significantly impair the child's emotional development. In addition to 24 a finding that parenting time would endanger the child's physical health 25 or significantly impair the child's emotional development, in any order 26 imposing or continuing a parenting time restriction, the court shall 27 SB26-018 -3- enumerate the specific factual findings supporting the restriction, 1 including findings related to domestic violence, child abuse, and child 2 sexual abuse, and may enumerate the conditions that the restricted party 3 could fulfill in order to seek modification in the parenting plan. When a 4 claim of child abuse or neglect, domestic violence, or sexual assault 5 where there is also a claim that the child was conceived as a result of the 6 sexual assault has been made to the court, or the court has reason to 7 believe that a party has committed child abuse or neglect, domestic 8 violence, or sexual assault where there is also a claim that the child was 9 conceived as a result of the sexual assault, prior to determining parenting 10 time, the court shall follow the provisions of subsection (4) of this 11 section. In determining the best interests of the child for purposes of 12 parenting time, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including: 13 (XII) SUBJECT TO CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS, WHETHER THE 14 PARTIES RECOGNIZE THE CHILD'S IDENTITY AS IT RELATES TO A PROTECTED 15 CLASS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 24-34-601 (2)(a). 16 (b) Allocation of decision-making responsibility. The court, 17 upon the motion of either party or its own motion, shall allocate the 18 decision-making responsibilities between the parties based upon the best 19 interests of the child. In determining decision-making responsibility, the 20 court may allocate the decision-making responsibility with respect to each 21 issue affecting the child mutually between both parties or individually to 22 one or the other party or any combination thereof. When a claim of child 23 abuse or neglect or domestic violence has been made to the court, or the 24 court has reason to believe that a party has committed child abuse or 25 neglect, domestic violence, or sexual assault where there is also a claim 26 that the child in question was conceived as a result of the sexual assault, 27 SB26-018 -4- prior to allocating decision-making responsibility, the court shall follow 1 the provisions of subsection (4) of this section. In determining the best 2 interests of the child for purposes of allocating decision-making 3 responsibilities, the court shall consider, in addition to the factors set forth 4 in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5) SUBSECTION (1.5)(a) OF THIS 5 SECTION, all relevant factors, including: 6 (VI) SUBJECT TO CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS, WHETHER THE 7 PARTIES RECOGNIZE THE CHILD'S IDENTITY AS IT RELATES TO A PROTECTED 8 CLASS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 24-34-601 (2)(a). 9 SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds, 10 determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate 11 preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for 12 the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state 13 institutions. 14 SB26-018 -5-