Today (Friday , 31 March 2006) the Colorado Senate passed HB 1357 after adding two amendments. The first amendment (L.003) opens marriage applications after 50 years. This was a compromise which we proposed at the committee meeting last week. The second amendment (L.004), which was proposed by Private Investigators, could also benefit genealogists. The amendment allows anyone to apply to the district court, which may at its discretion and with good cause order that the marriage application be inspected. In effect, this provision affects those records less than 50 years from the date of the marriage application.

The amended bill still needs to pass the House and then it will go to the Governor for his signature.

This is a success compared to what the public would have had as the bill was originally proposed - no access at all. Our success was a direct result of the letters and calls from the Colorado genealogical community to their Senators.

Without amendment L.003, all Colorado marriage applications would be closed forever. With the amendment, marriage applications before 1956 are open records.

You can follow the progress of HB 1357 at Colorado General Assembly.