Bill would require free online access and county lists for public notices

Senate Local Government Housing Committee Chair called House Bill 1095 for consideration and Senator Linstead, the sponsor, said the bill would require newspapers to publish public notices online or provide a direct link to the full text and that notices must not be placed behind paywalls. Linstead said the measure aims to make legal notices more accessible as more Coloradans rely on digital media.

Supporters told the committee the bill and a stakeholder amendment would improve public access while retaining reliable publication. "Public notices are...how a family in Garfield County learns that a development is proposed next to their water supply," said Megan Tackett, associate publisher of the Aspen Daily News, testifying for the Colorado Press Association. "They are in the most practical sense, democracy made visible." Megan Wagner of the Special District Association said her members publish many legal notices and supported the amendment requiring a county-by-county list of qualifying newspapers.

Emma Donahue of the Colorado Municipal League said municipalities rely on the legal-notice process and that searchable, free online access would make it easier for governments and residents to find relevant notices. Linda Hutchinson of the League of Women Voters of Colorado urged a yes vote, saying barrier-free access is essential to an informed electorate. Melanie Jordan of the Office of Respondent Parents Council testified that online, searchable notices are more likely to provide actual notice in dependency cases, citing a 2019 Colorado Court of Appeals decision that requires substitute service to have a reasonable chance of giving parties actual notice.

Committee members asked how the county-by-county list would be maintained. The Colorado Press Association representatives said the association has the capacity and committees to steward a statewide database of qualifying newspapers. Vice Chair Snyder asked about the revenue impact for print newspapers; Tackett said legal-notice revenue remains a material part of many small papers' operating budgets and losing paper-of-record status could threaten newsroom staffing at some outlets.

After witness testimony, the committee adopted amendment L007 (which requires publishing a county-by-county list of qualifying newspapers on a website) without objection. Senator Linstead moved HB 1095 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. The clerk recorded a roll-call vote of 7–0 in favor; the bill was placed on the consent calendar.

The committee forwarded HB 1095 with a favorable recommendation to the Committee of the Whole; no further action was taken at this hearing.