Access to Records of Child Abuse or Neglect
Concerning access to records of child abuse or neglect.
Official status: Became Law
Prime sponsors
- Gretchen Rydin (House) — Prime Sponsor
- Matt Soper (House) — Prime Sponsor
- Katie Wallace (Senate) — Prime Sponsor
- Lisa Frizell (Senate) — Prime Sponsor
Progress (from the official record)
Official summary
Official text — shown in English exactly as published by the official source. The official text controls.
The act prohibits a person who possesses a record or report (record) of child abuse or neglect from releasing identifying data or information contained in the record to a person who is not authorized to receive the information or data. The act clarifies what constitutes identifying data in a record. The act adds an assigned designee of a person named in a record who is acting on the person's behalf as a person who may have access to child abuse or neglect records if the assigned designee presents a valid release of information signed by an authorized person. The act allows a person named in a record as an alleged abused or neglected child who is in possession of a record in which they are named or, with the person's consent, the person's attorney or guardian ad litem, to disclose and make use of the record, including for the purpose of litigation or to obtain treatment or services. Except as expressly authorized in law, a criminal defendant may only access a record after an in camera review by the court in which the court finds that access to the record is necessary for the resolution of an issue. The act requires each county department of human or social services to establish and submit to the state department of human services a process current and former clients may use to obtain access to their case records. The act repeals the penalties associated with a person who improperly releases or willfully permits or encourages the release of data or information contained in the records to a person not permitted to access the information and makes it a petty offense for the department of education or a school district, charter school, or nonpublic school to release data or information contained in a record to a person not permitted to access the information. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Status timeline
| Date | Location | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 02/18/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary |
| 03/18/2026 | House | House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 03/20/2026 | House | House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor |
| 03/23/2026 | House | House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 03/26/2026 | Senate | Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary |
| 03/30/2026 | Senate | Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole |
| 04/02/2026 | Senate | Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 04/06/2026 | Senate | Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 04/22/2026 | House | Signed by the Speaker of the House |
| 04/22/2026 | Senate | Signed by the President of the Senate |
| 04/23/2026 | Governor | Sent to the Governor |
| 05/04/2026 | Governor | Governor Signed |
Recorded votes
- 03/30/2026 — Senate Judiciary: “Refer House Bill 26-1234 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar.” — the motion passed on a vote of 6–0.
- 03/18/2026 — House Judiciary: “Refer House Bill 26-1234, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.” — the motion passed on a vote of 10–0.
Proposed amendments (2 proposed amendments)
| Amendment | Committee / floor hearing | Offered | Disposition | Official document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L.001 | Committee amendment — Judiciary (House) | 03/18/2026 | Passed | View official document |
| L.002 Sponsor: Representative Rydin | Floor amendment — Second Reading (House) | 03/20/2026 | Passed | View official document |
Source: Colorado General Assembly (leg.colorado.gov) · Data as of
Full text
- Signed Act version (official PDF), 05/05/2026
- Final Act version (official PDF), 04/20/2026
- Rerevised version (official PDF), 04/06/2026
- Revised version (official PDF), 04/02/2026
- Reengrossed version (official PDF), 03/23/2026
- Engrossed version (official PDF), 03/20/2026
- Introduced version (official PDF), 02/18/2026
Official record
View HB26-1234 on leg.colorado.gov
Source: Colorado General Assembly (leg.colorado.gov) · Data as of
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