# Colorado General Assembly Witness & Testimony Findings ## Age Verification / Social Media Bills (2025-2026) Research date: 2026-03-12 --- ## 1. Bills Investigated ### SB26-051 - Age Attestation on Computing Devices - **Session:** 2026 Regular Session (75th General Assembly, 2nd Regular) - **Sponsors:** Sen. Matt Ball (D), Rep. Amy Paschal (D) - **Committee:** Senate Business, Labor & Technology - **Hearing date:** February 24, 2026, 2:00 PM MT, SCR 352 - **Committee action:** Amendment L.001 adopted; referred to Committee of the Whole with consent calendar recommendation (5-0 vote) - **Senate passage:** Third reading, March 3, 2026 - **Summary:** Requires OS providers to collect age/birthdate during account setup and expose an "age signal" API (brackets: under 13, 13-16, 16-18, 18+) that app developers can query at download or launch time. - **Bill page:** https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051 - **Hearing summary (redirect):** https://content.leg.colorado.gov/content/02bf0778c7b689f8872586bd005e7e2e-hearing-summary ### SB25-086 - Protections for Users of Social Media - **Session:** 2025 Regular Session - **Committee hearings:** - Senate Judiciary Committee, Feb 19, 2025 (referred 6-1, five amendments adopted) - House Health & Human Services Committee, Mar 12, 2025 (referred unamended, 11-2) - **Final status:** Vetoed by Governor Polis, April 24, 2025 - **Summary:** Required social media platforms with 1M+ monthly users to provide streamlined law enforcement contact process and comply with search warrants within 72 hours. - **Bill page:** https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB25-086 ### HB25-1287 - Social Media Tools for Minor Users & Parents - **Session:** 2025 Regular Session - **Sponsors:** Rep. Jarvis Caldwell (R-Monument), Rep. Meghan Lukens (D-Steamboat Springs) - **Committee hearings:** - House Health & Human Services Committee, April 2, 2025 - House Appropriations Committee, May 13, 2025 (Lay Over Unamended - Amendments Failed) - **Summary:** Required social media companies to determine if users are minors, offer time limits, disable algorithmic recommendations for minors, and provide parental supervisory tools. - **Bill page:** https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB25-1287 --- ## 2. Witness Lists Extracted ### SB25-086 - Senate Judiciary Committee (Feb 19, 2025) **In Support:** - Chelsea Congdon (individual) - Aaron Ping (Blue Rising) - Alden Globe (individual) - Meta Osborne (individual) [Note: "Meta" is the witness first name, not the company] - Brian Mason (District Attorney, 17th Judicial District) - Toni Sarge (Colorado Children's Campaign) - Adam Shore (Colorado Ceasefire) - Juan Colorado (individual) - Charlotte DeGraff (individual) - Laura Marquez-Garrett (Social Media Victims Law Center) - Nathan Quails (individual) - Mary-Elizabeth Callaway (individual) - Melissa Burkhart (individual) - Jason McBride (McBride Impact) - Warren Binford (Kempe Foundation) - Dr. Denise Abdoo (Children's Hospital Colorado) - Evie Hudak (Colorado PTA) - Jessica Dotter (Colorado District Attorneys' Council) - Jeff Riester (Department of Law) - Dawn Reinfeld (Blue Rising) - Antonia Merzon (Blue Rising) **In Opposition:** - Hannah Goodman (Libertarian Party of Colorado) - Jacob Luria (individual) - Michael McReynolds (Governor's Office of Information Technology) - Braden Peltz (individual) - Patrick Hedger (NetChoice) - Krystyn Hartman (individual) - Valerie Leal (individual) - Dr. Michal Luria (Center for Democracy & Technology) **To Amend:** - Ruthie Barko (TechNet) - Anaya Robinson (ACLU of Colorado) - Tash Berwick (New Era Colorado) **Neutral:** - Katie Paul (Tech Transparency Project) ### SB25-086 - House Health & Human Services Committee (Mar 12, 2025) **In Support:** - Meta Osborne (individual) - Alden Globe (Blue Rising) - Matt Riviere (individual) - Martin Ping (individual) - Alex Radz (individual) - Jason McBride (individual) - Toni Sarge (Colorado Children's Campaign) - Gordon McLaughlin (Colorado District Attorneys Council) - Michael Dougherty (District Attorney) - Warren Binford (Kempe Foundation) - Adam Shore (Colorado Ceasefire) - Suzanne Ridenhour (individual) - Gabby Ridenhour (individual) - Denise Abdoo (Children's Hospital Colorado) - Evie Hudak (Colorado PTA) - Ken Herrmann (individual) - Sam Larson (individual) - Mary-Liz Callaway (individual) - Cameron Snyder (individual) - Heather Somervill (individual) - Kelly Murphy (individual) - Anna Segur (individual) - Melissa Burkhart (individual) - Jeffrey Riester (Department of Law) - Dawn Reinfeld (Blue Rising) - Antonia Merzon (Blue Rising) - Jessica Dotter (Colorado District Attorneys' Council) **In Opposition:** - Tash Berwick (ACLU of Colorado) - Michael McReynolds (Governor's Office of Information Technology) - Krystyn Hartman (individual) - Kouri Marshall (Chamber of Progress) - Ruthie Barko (TechNet) **Requesting Amendments:** - Kiyana Newell (New Era Colorado) - Vanessa Rutledge (Independence Institute) **Neutral:** - Katie Paul (Tech Transparency Project) **Additional written testimony:** Referenced as Attachment G in hearing summary. ### SB26-051 - Senate Business, Labor & Technology (Feb 24, 2026) **Partial witness list** (from news coverage; full hearing summary could not be retrieved): - Kim Osterman (parent/individual) - testified in support; spoke about her son Max who died after buying a fentanyl-laced pill from a Snapchat dealer - Julie Dawson (Age Verification Providers Association) - noted the bill concerns age attestation/self-declaration rather than true verification The full hearing summary is available at the Colorado General Assembly website but could not be fully extracted during this research session. ### HB25-1287 - House Health & Human Services (Apr 2, 2025) Full witness list could not be retrieved. The hearing summary page redirects to content.leg.colorado.gov. --- ## 3. Key Entity Analysis ### Digital Childhood Alliance (DCA) - **Type:** 501(c)(4) nonprofit (political advocacy; not required to disclose donors) - **Executive Director:** Casey Stefanski - **Chair/Founder:** Melissa McKay (also founded Digital Childhood Institute, 501(c)(3) research arm) - **Coalition size:** Claims 70-100+ child advocacy organizations - **Core legislative agenda:** App Store Accountability Act (ASAA) - **States where ASAA has passed:** Utah, Texas, Louisiana - **States with active ASAA efforts:** ~20 states including Alabama, Kansas, Arizona, Ohio, South Carolina **DCA in Colorado testimony:** No direct evidence found of DCA/Casey Stefanski/Melissa McKay appearing on the extracted Colorado witness lists for SB25-086, HB25-1287, or SB26-051. ### Meta / Meta Platforms - **Relationship to DCA:** Multiple investigative reports have established that Meta is funding the Digital Childhood Alliance, though neither entity has publicly confirmed specifics. - Louisiana Senate Finance Committee: Casey Stefanski admitted DCA receives tech company funding but refused to name which companies. - Deseret News (Dec 7, 2025): Reported Meta "quietly funded" the DCA. - Insurance Journal / Bloomberg (Jul 25, 2025): Reported Meta is "helping to fund" the DCA. - **Colorado lobbying:** Headwaters Strategies (Denver-based lobbying firm) lists Meta as a client. - **Strategic interest:** Meta supports shifting age verification responsibility from individual apps/platforms to app stores and operating systems. - **Meta on Colorado witness lists:** No "Meta Platforms" or "Meta" (the company) testimony was found on the extracted SB25-086 witness lists. Note: "Meta Osborne" appears as an individual witness (first name "Meta"). ### Headwaters Strategies - **Type:** Colorado-based lobbying/public affairs firm (founded 2009) - **Principals:** Will Coyne, Adam Eichberg, Aly Schmidt - **Confirmed client:** Meta is listed on Headwaters Strategies public client roster. - **Other notable clients:** Airbnb, Tesla, Total Wine, Vivid Seats, City of Black Hawk **Headwaters in Colorado testimony:** No Headwaters Strategies representative was found on the extracted witness lists. As a registered lobbyist firm, Headwaters would typically engage through lobbyist filings rather than public testimony. ### Casey Stefanski - **Role:** Executive Director, Digital Childhood Alliance - **Background:** Working in child safety since 2012; experience on Capitol Hill - **Known testimony:** Louisiana Senate Finance Committee (pressed about tech funding, refused to name funders) - **Colorado testimony:** No evidence found of Stefanski testifying before Colorado General Assembly committees on any of the three bills investigated. ### Melissa McKay - **Role:** Founder/Chair, Digital Childhood Alliance; Founder/President, Digital Childhood Institute - **Background:** Utah mother of five; began child safety advocacy in 2017; helped draft Utah App Store Accountability Act - **Also:** Listed as team member at Family Policy Alliance - **Known advocacy:** FTC workshop testimony; meetings with FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson; filed FTC complaints against Apple and Google - **Colorado testimony:** No evidence found of McKay testifying before Colorado General Assembly committees on any of the three bills investigated. --- ## 4. Coordination Analysis ### DCA and Meta testifying on same Colorado bills **Finding: NOT CONFIRMED for Colorado.** Neither DCA/Stefanski/McKay nor Meta Platforms (as company) appeared on the extracted Colorado witness lists. However: - Meta has a Colorado lobbyist (Headwaters Strategies) that could represent its interests on these bills through lobbyist filings. - The DCA ASAA model has been introduced in ~20 states, but Colorado approach in SB26-051 takes a different tack (OS-level attestation rather than app-store-level verification). ### DCA and Headwaters appearing together **Finding: NOT CONFIRMED.** No evidence was found of DCA representatives and Headwaters Strategies representatives appearing together at Colorado hearings. ### Broader coordination pattern (nationally) **Finding: ESTABLISHED by investigative reporting, but not specifically proven in Colorado.** - Meta funds DCA (confirmed by multiple investigative reports; partially admitted by Stefanski in Louisiana testimony). - Meta uses Headwaters Strategies as its Colorado lobbying firm. - DCA promotes legislation (ASAA) that serves Meta strategic interest of shifting age verification responsibility to app stores (Apple/Google) rather than individual platforms. - SB26-051 similarly shifts responsibility to OS providers -- a position Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has publicly endorsed. ### The strategic alignment - Meta interest: Avoid platform-level age verification obligations. - DCA agenda: App store / OS-level age verification (shifts burden to Apple and Google). - SB26-051 approach: OS-level age attestation (shifts burden to Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.). - SB25-086: Platform-level obligations (require social media companies to respond to law enforcement) -- Meta would likely OPPOSE. - HB25-1287: Platform-level obligations (require social media companies to protect minors) -- Meta would likely OPPOSE. --- ## 5. Data Gaps & Recommended Follow-Up 1. **SB26-051 full witness list:** The hearing summary page could not be fully parsed. Obtain directly from Colorado General Assembly website or committee hearing video/audio. 2. **HB25-1287 witness list:** Same issue -- hearing summary page could not be fully retrieved. 3. **Lobbyist filings:** Colorado Capitol Watch pages for SB25-086, HB25-1287, and SB26-051 lobbyist filings could not be accessed. These would show whether Headwaters Strategies (representing Meta) filed a position on any of these bills. 4. **Colorado Secretary of State lobbyist database:** Direct search at https://www.sos.state.co.us/lobby/SearchLobbyist.do would reveal Meta registered Colorado lobbyists. 5. **Written testimony (Attachment G):** The SB25-086 House hearing referenced additional written testimony not retrieved. 6. **Committee hearing recordings:** Reviewing the SB26-051 Feb 24, 2026 recording would reveal the complete testimony. --- ## 6. Key Sources ### Official legislative records - SB26-051 bill page: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051 - SB25-086 bill page: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB25-086 - HB25-1287 bill page: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB25-1287 - SB25-086 Senate Judiciary hearing summary: https://leg.colorado.gov/committee_meeting_hearing_summary/1114 - SB25-086 House HHS hearing summary: https://leg.colorado.gov/committee_meeting_hearing_summary/1859 - Colorado SOS lobbyist search: https://www.sos.state.co.us/lobby/SearchLobbyist.do ### Lobbyist filings (not fully accessed) - SB25-086 lobbyists: https://app.coloradocapitolwatch.com/lobbyists/1/SB25-086/2025/1/ - HB25-1287 lobbyists: https://app.coloradocapitolwatch.com/lobbyists/1/HB25-1287/2025/0/ ### Investigative reporting on DCA-Meta relationship - Deseret News (Dec 7, 2025): https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/ - Insurance Journal / Bloomberg (Jul 25, 2025): https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm - The Center Square (Louisiana): https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html - Pluribus News: https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/meta-lobbies-for-app-store-age-verification-laws/ - CyberScoop: https://cyberscoop.com/digital-childhood-institute-files-ftc-complaint-against-google-online-safety/ - TechPolicy.Press: https://www.techpolicy.press/the-drive-for-age-assurance-is-turning-app-stores-into-childhood-regulators/ ### Headwaters Strategies - Client list: https://headwatersstrategies.com/our-clients/ - Team: https://headwatersstrategies.com/our-team/ ### Other bill analysis - ComplianceHub (SB26-051): https://compliancehub.wiki/breaking-colorado-bill-would-require-age-verification-at-the-os-level-and-zuckerberg-already-handed-lawmakers-the-blueprint/ - NetChoice testimony on SB25-086: https://netchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NetChoice-Testimony-Colorado-SB-25-086-Patrick-Hedger.pdf - Rocky Mountain Voice (SB26-051): https://rockymountainvoice.com/2026/03/09/colorado-bill-would-require-devices-to-signal-when-users-are-minors/