HB 1229 Summary

• Creates the Colorado Electronic Preservation of Abandoned Estate Planning Documents Act to establish a central repository in the State Court Administrator's office for estate planning documents that professionals cannot locate the original creators for.

• Requires custodians (attorneys, financial institutions, fiduciaries, etc.) to conduct diligent searches and mail 90-day notice to creators before converting original documents to electronic format and filing with the State Court Administrator.

• Establishes the State Court Administrator's duties to maintain a searchable database of creator names, create individual computer folders and profiles for each creator, and issue certified copies of electronic documents to authorized recipients upon proof of identity.

• Authorizes the State Court Administrator to charge fees (based on actual costs) for filing statements, retrieving documents, and requesting deletions, with fees deposited into a dedicated cash fund for administering the program.

• Electronic documents certified by the State Court Administrator are deemed equivalent to original documents for all purposes under Colorado law, and certified copies may be used in probate proceedings.