SB26-018 | Legal Protections for Dignity of Minors

Position: Strongly Oppose

SB26-018 is being framed as a privacy bill, but it does much more than protect records. It creates a more secretive process around legal name changes for minors, intentionally hiding it from parents and raises serious concerns about parental rights, transparency, and the best interests of the child.

What the bill does

  • Requires courts to suppress records related to name change petitions for minors under 18.
  • Hides a child’s name change from a parent.
  • Eliminates the public notice requirement for those name changes.
  • Requires courts, in parenting time and decision-making cases, to consider whether the parties recognize the child’s identity as it relates to a protected class.

Why we strongly oppose it

  • It hides legal name changes involving children. These proceedings become harder to see, harder to challenge, and less accountable.
  • It weakens parental rights. Parents should not be sidelined in decisions involving a child’s legal identity.
  • It can be used against parents in custody disputes. A parent who does not affirm a child’s asserted gender identity may be portrayed as acting against the child’s best interests.
  • It pressures courts to enforce ideology. Family courts should not punish parents for exercising caution and judgment on complicated issues involving children.
  • It does not serve the best interests of the child. Children need stability, parental guidance, and thoughtful decision-making — not secrecy and reduced oversight.

Bottom line

SB26-018 is not about privacy. It creates a less transparent court process, weakens safeguards, and opens the door for parents to lose ground in custody disputes over gender identity issues.

Vote NO on SB26-018.

Email each Democratic House Judiciary Member

Use some form of this email template to ask for a quick meeting to discuss SB26-018 and if a meeting is not available, encourage them to vote NO!

Subject: 10–15 Min Meeting Request – SB26-018

Dear Representative [Last Name],

I’m reaching out to request a brief 10–15 minute virtual meeting regarding SB26-018.

This bill raises serious concerns around parental awareness and due process, particularly how it suppresses records and removes notice requirements for minor name changes—making it easier for these decisions to occur without both parents being fully informed or involved.

Given how often these issues arise in high-conflict cases, I believe it’s important to walk through the real-world implications and unintended consequences before this moves further.

If a meeting isn’t possible, I respectfully urge you to vote NO on SB26-018.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]