A bill that seeks to prevent the doxxing of health care workers and other employees passed the Colorado House of Representatives Monday, advancing to the state Senate for consideration.
If enacted, House Bill 1041 would add health care workers — as well as code enforcement officers, child representatives and animal control officers — to the list of people who can request to have their personal information removed from government websites after they receive threats to their safety. Personal information includes home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
“No one should feel unsafe when they’re just doing their job, but we’ve seen a significant increase in atrocious threats to health care workers and their families,”
said bill sponsor Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins.
“This bill would protect our essential workers from doxxing by allowing them to remove their name and address from public databases.”
This comes as 31% of hospital nurses in September 2021 reported experiencing an increase in workplace violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey by National Nurses United.
The bill would not prohibit access to records by county officials or certain other individuals if the access is related to a real estate matter.
The bill passed through the House with bipartisan support on Monday, with 52 representatives voting yes, 10 voting no and three excused. All 10 of the bill’s opponents are Republicans, including Rep. Tim Geitner of Falcon who has a personal connection to the bill.
Last year, UCHealth adopted a requirement that transplant candidates be vaccinated against COVID-19. In opposition to the policy, Geitner posted a photo on his social media accounts of a letter explaining the policy to a transplant patient. The photo included the name and contact information of Katherine Hamann, UCHealth’s kidney transplant coordinator, who had no hand in the policy change.
Hamann said she instantly became the victim of a cyber mob after Geitner's post, receiving hundreds of phone calls, emails and social media posts from people angry about her employer’s decision. Some of these included “detailed and graphic death threats” against Hamann and her family, she said.
“Even today, I fear that online vigilantes will find my information, such as my home address,”
Hamann said, advocating in support of the bill during a House committee meeting.
“I not only fear for myself but for my friends and family.”
Geitner did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding why he voted against the bill. Some of the bill’s other opponents — such as Rep. Ron Hanks, R-Cañon City — have previously denounced the bill because they argue privacy protection should be afforded to everyone equally.
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