Concerning authorizing the Colorado bureau of investigation to access the federal bureau of investigation's fingerprint search service allowing authorized agencies to receive notification of activity on individuals who have submitted to a ba...
Summary
HB26-1108 would authorize the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit applicant fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Rap Back Service. Under the bill, fingerprints collected by CBI for a criminal history record check could be retained in the FBI database and used for future searches, including latent fingerprint searches. The bill defines Rap Back Service as a federal service that notifies authorized agencies when there is new activity on an individual who has already undergone a fingerprint-based criminal history check.
The measure is primarily an administrative and law-enforcement information-sharing bill. It does not create a new criminal offense or change the standards for who must undergo a background check, but it expands the post-submission use of fingerprints and the ability of agencies to receive ongoing notifications tied to those prints. The bill would apply only to fingerprints submitted to CBI on or after the effective date, which is July 1, 2027, unless delayed by referendum and voter approval requirements.
Impact
The bill would amend Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-33.5-412 to expressly permit CBI to participate in the FBI’s Rap Back Service and to retain applicant fingerprints in the federal system for future searches. This would affect state background-check processing and the handling of fingerprint records for civil fingerprint-based criminal history checks, potentially broadening ongoing monitoring for authorized agencies and applicants subject to those checks. It would also align Colorado law with federal fingerprint-search and notification capabilities for future submissions only.
Sentiment
Based on the available legislative history, the bill appears to have had limited recorded debate in the provided materials, and no vote details are available. Its subject matter suggests a practical public-safety and administrative purpose, focused on improving background-check monitoring and law-enforcement access to updated criminal history information. The fact that it was later postponed indefinitely in House Judiciary indicates the measure did not advance, but the available record does not show the specific reasons for that outcome.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are privacy, data retention, and the scope of ongoing monitoring of fingerprinted individuals. Supporters would likely emphasize improved public safety, more timely notification of new criminal activity, and better tools for agencies that rely on background checks. Opponents or skeptics may be concerned about retaining applicant fingerprints in a federal database, the use of those prints for future and latent searches, and whether the expanded sharing and notification system goes beyond the original purpose of a one-time background check. No committee transcript is available here to identify which legislators or stakeholders raised those concerns.