Press Room

Sen. Whitehead Bill Cuts Paper Use in Half and Saves Taxpayer Money

Monday, August 9 2010

WASTE NOT- WANT NOT!

DENVER—    This Wednesday, August 11, House Bill 1403 will take effect, allowing the Secretary of State’s Office to begin using electronic means for certain types of citizen communication.  The new bill, sponsored by Senator Bruce Whitehead (D-Hesperus), will not only cut down on unnecessary paper waste, but is projected to save the state more than $200,000 in postage and printing costs over the next few years. Under previous law, the Secretary of State’s office was required to send certain types of notifications and filings in a hard copy through the postal service. 

“If you consider the sheer number of documents sent and received at the Secretary of State’s office it’s easy to see how much money can be saved by switching to electronic means of communication,” stated Senator Whitehead.  “This is the type of innovative problem solving we can utilize to stop spending money on postage and start spending it on our schools, roads, and services. It just makes sense.”

The new legislation also allows business and corporations to file certain reports biannually rather than annually and gives them the freedom to choose due dates.  Individuals and businesses without the means to communicate via the internet will still be permitted to mail documents directly.