Colorado has updated its open records act so that citizens can obtain government documents in digital formats that can be readily analyzed by computer.
Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the measure into law on Thursday. Sen. John Kefalas and Rep. Dan Pabon, both Democrats, sponsored the measure.
The law updates the Colorado Open Records Act, under which citizens until now often receive cumbersome paper records that cannot be readily analyzed using computer programs.
Lawmakers also amended the act to protect security information for utilities and other critical infrastructure.
Government agencies can deny electronic data for other reasons, including a lack of technical know-how or the risk of disclosing copyright or proprietary information.
