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Bill > HB1088


CO HB1088

CO HB1088
Business Entity Filing Secretary of State


summary

Introduced
02/02/2026
In Committee
03/12/2026
Crossed Over
03/12/2026
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

The bill authorizes the secretary of state (secretary) to: ! Mark as void or remove from the system an entity filing if an electronic payment for the entity filing fee is reversed or is not completed; ! Suspend or dismiss a complaint if the secretary determines that a relationship exists between the complainant and the person that is the subject of the complaint alleging a fraudulent filing; and ! Mark a business record with a notice that an entity is unauthorized or fraudulent without referring a complaint about the entity to the attorney general if the secretary receives a notice from the attorney general that the entity being listed as the registered agent was created or registered without authorization or for fraudulent purposes. The bill prohibits using a fraudulent entity as a registered agent in a business entity filing. Current law provides an administrative process for determining if an entity filing is made fraudulently or otherwise violates the law when a complaint is made. If such a determination is made, the entity filings may be canceled and the filers penalized. The procedures require the attorney general to notify the entity's registered agent. If the entity does not reply within 21 days after the notification, another notice is mailed, and if the entity does not reply to that notice within 21 days, the complaint is deemed to be conceded. The bill: ! Authorizes the attorney general to provide written notice to any other point of contact that the attorney general determines through investigation to be a means to reach the entity, if the address of the registered agent is the same as the address of the complainant; ! Repeals the second 21-day notice period; and ! Authorizes a person that is injured by such a violation to bring an action to dissolve the entity. Under current law, actions to dissolve an entity must be brought in the district court for the county where the entity's principal office is located; if the entity has no principal office in this state, where the registered agent is located; or, if the entity has no registered agent, in Denver. The bill authorizes the action to be brought in Denver when the dissolution is based on a fraudulent filing.

AI Summary

This bill aims to strengthen the Secretary of State's ability to combat fraudulent business filings by allowing them to void or remove filings if the associated electronic payment is reversed or incomplete, and to suspend or dismiss complaints if a relationship exists between the complainant and the subject of the complaint alleging a fraudulent filing. It also permits the Secretary of State to mark a business record with a notice of unauthorized or fraudulent status without necessarily referring the complaint to the Attorney General, especially if the Attorney General has already indicated the registered agent was created or registered without authorization or for fraudulent purposes. A key provision prohibits the use of a fraudulent entity as a registered agent in business entity filings. The bill modifies the existing process for handling fraudulent filings by allowing the Attorney General to notify alternative points of contact if the registered agent's address is the same as the complainant's, removes a second 21-day notice period for responses, and grants individuals injured by such violations the right to bring an action to dissolve the entity, with the option to file such an action in Denver if the dissolution is based on a fraudulent filing. The bill also includes an appropriation for the department of state to implement these changes.

Committee Categories

Budget and Finance, Military Affairs and Security

Sponsors (8)

Last Action

Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs (on 03/12/2026)

bill text


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