Senate Education advances bill allowing ITINs or fingerprints for non‑employment background checks

Senators Benavides and Weizemeth, sponsors of House Bill 11 43, told the Senate Education Committee the bill provides alternatives — an ITIN or fingerprints — to Social Security numbers for background checks that are not tied to employment, such as internships, volunteers, and clinical placements.

Senator Benavides said the change helps students, including DACA recipients, participate in educational and training experiences when they otherwise lack an SSN. Senator Weizemeth noted the bill has been narrowed and scoped, includes fingerprint options for higher‑security checks, and aims only to enable participation in non‑employment roles while preserving safety protocols.

Supporters who testified included Kyle Piccola of MSU Denver, Mark Longshore of the Colorado Nurses Association, representatives reading anonymous first‑hand accounts, and community advocates from Juntos Community. Mark Longshore told the committee the bill would remove a barrier that sometimes prevents qualified students from completing clinical placements and internships and urged a yes vote.

Senator Marshall moved House Bill 11 43 to the Committee of the Whole; the motion passed 4–3. Committee members and witnesses said the bill balances expanded access to educational opportunities with safeguards and fingerprint‑based checks where appropriate.