HB 26-1143

HB 26-1143, a Colorado bill that has been signed into law, stops organizations from asking individuals for their Social Security numbers when conducting background checks for educational programs that aren’t tied to employment. Instead, these organizations must accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or a fingerprint-based background check if the program involves working with vulnerable populations like children or elderly people. This affects anyone applying for non-employment educational opportunities in fields such as healthcare. The law is now active and enforceable by the state's attorney general.

Official Summary

The bill prohibits an entity from requiring an individual to provide a social security number for a background check for a non-employment-based educational opportunity unless the entity also accepts an individual taxpayer identification number in lieu of a social security number, including in clinical educational experiences for health-related academic programs, subject to certain exceptions.      A licensed or certified hospital or covered school, or a state institution of higher education or local district college that offers a non-employment-based educational opportunity that involves work with a vulnerable population, shall accept either an applicant's social security number or a fingerprint-based background check.     The attorney general is authorized to bring a civil action to enforce the provisions of the bill.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Topics

Votes