HB 26-1283

House Bill 26-1283, which has been signed into law, protects individuals from employers or their agents who demand or take possession of government-issued identification cards without lawful authority. This means that employers cannot confiscate IDs like driver's licenses or passports from employees under most circumstances. The bill also makes it a crime if someone takes an ID with the intent to intimidate or harass another person based on characteristics such as race, religion, or sexual orientation, and imposes stricter penalties for those who provide personal documents to federal immigration authorities out of bias. This law affects both employers and employees in Colorado, ensuring that individuals' identification remains secure from misuse by employers or others motivated by discrimination.

Official Summary

With certain exceptions, the act prohibits an employer or an employer's agent from demanding, confiscating, retaining, or otherwise requiring an individual who is an employee or an applicant for employment or who is performing work or seeking to perform work for the employer in any capacity, including a migrant worker or seasonal employee, to surrender the individual's government-issued identification card.     A person that knowingly violates the act's prohibition commits criminal possession of an identification document, which is a class 2 misdemeanor.     A person commits a bias-motivated crime if, with the intent to intimidate or harass another individual, in whole or in part, because of that individual's actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or transgender identity, the person:Violates the act's prohibitions; orProvides, or threatens to provide, an individual's government-issued identification document to federal immigration authorities, except where required or permitted by state or federal law.     Such a bias-motivated crime is a class 1 misdemeanor, and a victim may seek additional remedies available under law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics

Related Legislation

Votes