< Back March 10, 2020 AIR TOXICS REGULATION PASSES COMMITTEE DENVER, CO– The House Committee on Energy and Environment today approved Representative Adrienne Benavidez and Alex Valdez’s bill to regulate air toxics emissions. The bill passed 7 to 4. “My constituents in Commerce City and Coloradans across the state have a right to know what factories, refineries, and coal plants are putting into the air,” said Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Commerce City . “We’re moving forward today to deliver environmental justice and protect the health and safety of our families while holding polluting corporations accountable.” “Today we’re standing up for our neighborhoods, our families, and our state,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “The toxic chemicals that this bill would regulate can cause ailments ranging from headaches and nausea to cancer and death. Since the bulk of the damage done by these chemicals is borne by those living closest to the facilities, it’s no surprise that communities of color are the hardest hit. Enough is enough– it’s time to take action.” HB20-1265 would regulate certain hazardous air toxics, including hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, benzene, and other hazardous air pollutants specified by the Air Quality Control Commission in rulemaking. The bill would create a program to regulate these pollutants in a manner more strict than required by the Federal Clean Air Act. The bill would also require facilities emitting these chemicals to monitor their emissions of covered air toxics and set health-based emission limits for covered air pollutants. Finally, the program would be tasked with creating a real-time community alert system for informing communities when pollution “incidents” occur. The bill also requires facilities that frequently emit the air toxics specified by the legislation monitor their emissions of toxic air pollutants and create transparency by promptly and thoroughly providing information regarding a pollution incident. Previous Next

Legislation would strengthen firearm training requirements for concealed carry permits to ensure responsible gun ownership < Back March 8, 2024 Bill to Strengthen Firearm Training, Promote Responsible Gun Ownership Advances Legislation would strengthen firearm training requirements for concealed carry permits to ensure responsible gun ownership DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation in a preliminary vote to strengthen firearm training requirements for concealed carry permits to promote responsible firearm ownership and protect Colorado communities from gun violence. “States that have eliminated their live-fire training requirements to receive a concealed carry permit saw a 32 percent increase in gun assaults,” said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. "The data is clear - live-fire gun training can save lives. This important legislation will ensure that Coloradans with concealed carry permits are properly trained before they bring their firearm into their communities.” “When I received my concealed carry permit years ago, I was surprised to learn that Colorado law did not require live-fire training, a necessary skill to have before carrying a gun in public spaces," said Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs. "Our bill would create a minimum requirement for concealed carry permit holders, including in-person live-fire training with a certified firearms instructor, to ensure that concealed carry permits are issued with appropriate training. Our commonsense gun violence prevention legislation works to prevent senseless gun deaths by improving firearm training.” In Colorado, a person can be issued a concealed carry permit if they complete a handgun training class by a verified firearms safety instructor, pass a background check, and demonstrate competence with a handgun. HB24-1174 would require handgun training classes to be held in-person and include training on safe handling of firearms and ammunition, safe storage of firearms and child safety, safe firearms shooting fundamentals, federal and state firearm laws, state laws related to the use of deadly force for self-defense, interacting with law enforcement who are responding to emergencies, and techniques for conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force. Under the bill, the handgun training class would include at least eight hours of instruction, including a live-fire exercise and a written exam that the student must receive passing scores on. The bill would also require a concealed handgun refresher class (refresher class) to be completed in order to renew a concealed carry permit. This refresher class must be at least two hours, including a passing score on both the live-fire exercise and written exam. The refresher class must also include instruction on changes to federal or state firearm laws. HB24-1174 prohibits a person from being issued a permit if they have been convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses within five years of submitting a concealed carry permit application. The bill also makes it a deceptive trade practice for a person to claim to be a verified firearms safety instructor unless they have been verified by a county sheriff. Majority Leader Duran sponsored a 2021 law that promotes responsible gun ownership by ensuring that gun owners properly store their firearms when they are not in use, especially when children are present. Previous Next

Today, Governor Jared Polis signed into law two pieces of legislation to reduce insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs. < Back May 10, 2023 Signed! Legislation to Reduce Insurance Premiums, Costs of Prescription Drugs AURORA, CO - Today, Governor Jared Polis signed into law two pieces of legislation to reduce insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs. HB23-1224 , sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, and Reps. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, and Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, lowers insurance premiums and makes it easier for consumers to shop for high value standardized health plans that work for them and their families. The bill strengthens the Department of Insurance’s (DOI) ability to hold carriers accountable for the premium rate reduction requirements on Colorado Option Standardized Plans by granting the DOI the authority to: Limit factors such as as excessive profit and administrative expenses; Structure the public hearing process efficiently while ensuring all parties have the opportunity to participate; Help consumers easily find and compare plans that could lower their out-of-pocket costs. “Too many Coloradans are forced to choose between preventative health care services and paying the bills,” Jodeh said. “By reducing premium rates for Colorado Option plans and strengthening cost-saving requirements over Pharmacy Benefit Managers, our new laws will protect Colorado patients, pharmacies, and businesses from unfair practices while saving them money on health care.” “Every Coloradan, no matter where they live, deserves to have access to the life-saving health care they need,” said Roberts. “Colorado has led the way in lowering costs of health care by creating the Colorado Option. This bill builds on the first year of success of that plan and makes changes that will ensure that next year and in the years to come, even more Coloradans, particularly in the rural communities like those I represent, will be able to access more affordable and higher quality insurance options.” “The Colorado Option has been very successful, creating $14 million in savings for Colorado patients on health care plans, in its first year in the market,” Brown said. “With this new law, we’re making improvements to the Colorado Option to save Coloradans even more money on health care. I’m proud of the work that we’ve done to cut down on health care costs and pass savings down to Colorado consumers.” The second bill, HB23-1227 , ensures that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) follow through on critical cost savings reforms that the legislature has passed in recent years to save consumers money. Sponsored by Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and Perry Will, R-New Castle, and Reps. David Ortiz, D-Littleton, and Jodeh, the bill provides the DOI with more direct oversight over PBMs by requiring them to register and specifying that the DOI has the ability to enforce those reforms. “As a pharmacist I know firsthand how critical it is for Coloradans to be able to afford their prescription drugs, but too many of our families are still getting squeezed by high costs of medication,” said Jaquez Lewis. “HB1227 is part of a multi-year effort to keep Colorado prescription drug prices affordable. I’m thrilled to see this critical bill to save families even more money on life-saving medications signed into law.” “Addressing the cost of prescription drugs is a critical part of creating an equitable and accessible health care system,” said Ortiz. “This new law will give us the tools to hold Pharmacy Benefit Managers to the cost-saving measures that Colorado Democrats have passed to improve access to affordable, quality health care for all.” The bipartisan bill grants the Insurance Commissioner the power to investigate and impose penalties on PBMs for failing to comply with consumer protections such as charging pharmacies fees to adjudicate claims, clawing back money from pharmacies inappropriately, and discriminating against independent pharmacies versus PBM-affiliated pharmacies. Previous Next

The House today advanced two bipartisan bills that would spur the creation of more high-quality and affordable child care facilities in our communities and help create more jobs by incentivizing businesses to expand or relocate to Colorado. < Back May 1, 2026 House Dems Pass Bills to Save Families Money on Child Care, Create More Good-Paying Jobs DENVER, CO - The House today advanced two bipartisan bills that would spur the creation of more high-quality and affordable child care facilities in our communities and help create more jobs by incentivizing businesses to expand or relocate to Colorado. “Everyone deserves a fair shot at the Colorado Dream, and this bill would create quality child care options and save Colorado families money,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, sponsor of HB26-1004. “The Child Care Contribution Tax Credit is an important tool to support hardworking families while creating jobs, which is why I am sponsoring this bipartisan bill so communities across the state can continue to benefit from this tax credit.” The Child Care Contribution Tax Credit allows taxpayers who donate money to a licensed child care facility in Colorado to receive an income tax credit of 50 percent of their contribution. HB26-1004 , also sponsored by Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, R-Monument, would extend the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit until 2037. These child care facilities could include qualifying child care centers, homeless youth shelters and residential treatment centers. These donations can be used to create or maintain a child care facility, fund child care financial assistance programs for families and train child care providers. In tax year 2023, around $33 million in credits were claimed by almost 16,000 taxpayers, generating a total of $66 million for the child care ecosystem. In January, the Trump Administration attempted to freeze over $300 million of funding for child care and social services that thousands of Colorado families rely on. HB26-1014 , also sponsored by Rep. Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction, would extend the Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit through tax year 2034. The Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit was created in 2009 to help create new jobs by offering a state income tax credit of 50 percent of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes) contributions paid by the business for each new job. “This legislation will create new, good-paying job opportunities and boost Coloradans in their career fields,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, sponsor of HB26-1014. “The Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit has successfully created jobs in every corner of our state and above the average pay in the area. Expanding this tax credit would help attract businesses to Colorado, which would create more good-paying jobs and jumpstart careers.” To qualify for this state income tax credit, businesses must create at least 20 new jobs during the credit period, or at least five new jobs if the project is within an Enhanced Rural Enterprise Zone. These jobs must pay at least 100 percent of the county’s average annual wage and be maintained for at least one year. The following projects were announced as recent recipients of the Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit: Neon, a company in the quantum industry, that is expected to create 150 new jobs at 172-percent of the average annual wage in Boulder County, Project Elevate, a real estate investment and modular home manufacturing company, which is expected to create nearly 100 jobs at 135-percent of the average annual wage in Mesa County, and Frontera, a construction company, which is expected to create 40 new jobs at 104-percent of the average annual wage in Montrose County. Previous Next

< Back April 21, 2021 WEISSMAN: PAST CRIMINAL RECORDS SHOULD NOT DENY A SECOND CHANCE Record sealing bill addresses collateral consequences from punishments that have never truly ended DENVER, CO– The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Mike Weissman that would expand access to the ability to seal records for people arrested for or convicted of low-level offenses. This allows Coloradans to move on with their lives, breaks down barriers to employment and housing, and strengthens public safety by lowering the chances of someone reoffending. “Record sealing gives people who have served their time a second chance to thrive, while reducing the chances that they will reoffend,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “One’s punishment should end when their sentence does, but in practice, criminal records lead to a lifetime of collateral consequences, staying with the offender even as they work to rebuild their lives. The crimes covered under this bill are low-level, and many are for drug offenses that, after the end of marijuana prohibition, aren’t even crimes any more. Redemption and the belief in second chances are fundamental American values, and it’s time our criminal record laws uphold these values, as well.” Two years ago the legislature passed HB19-1275, a bill that created a process for people convicted of low level offenses to petition the court to have their record sealed, by a vote of 91-6 across both chambers. Under HB21-1214, certain records for low-level drug offenses would be automatically sealed. The bill does not change the offenses eligible to be considered by a court for discretionary sealing of non-drug offenses and would still not apply to serious offenses, child abuse, or driving under the influence, among other exceptions in current law. It requires waiting periods of up to ten years depending on the offenses being considered by a court for sealing. With the exception of a life sentence, punishment in our criminal legal system is meant to be finite–meaning it ends. However, a criminal record follows a defendant for the rest of their lives, often impacting opportunities for housing or employment, even for minor offenses. Criminal records make it harder for people to re-integrate into their communities and create barriers to secure housing and employment. When record sealing is based on a petition system, the burden falls on the individual to be aware of their eligibility and to navigate a time-consuming and costly process to secure relief. Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis today signed a bill to train educators in “Stop the Bleed” for emergency, life-saving situations to make our schools safer. < Back May 15, 2023 New Bipartisan Law Expands School Access to Life-Saving Stop the Bleed Kits EVANS, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed a bill to train educators in “Stop the Bleed” for emergency, life-saving situations to make our schools safer. “The more teachers and staff we can prepare for emergency situations, the more likely we are to save a life,” said School Psychologist Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley. “ Time is precious in any emergency. This bipartisan law ensures teachers, staff and older students have the proper “Stop the Bleed” training and materials they need to respond effectively and efficiently to save lives.” “As a father and a nurse, I know the seconds matter when somebody is bleeding,” said Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton. “Stop the Bleed is an important program to save lives in our schools and raise awareness about this easy to learn, life-saving technique.” HB23-1213 , sponsored by Representatives Mary Young and Mary Bradfield and Senator Kyle Mullica requires the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to distribute “Stop the Bleed” kits and training materials to K-12 schools that opt into the program. Bleed control kits and training resources contain first-aid materials for treating blood loss in traumatic injuries. This law aims to better prepare educators and staff for emergency situations by providing life-saving materials accompanied by training to help keep people alive. “Stop the Bleed” is a straightforward, standardized set of training materials and recommendations for everyday people caring for someone experiencing excessive bleeding through applying pressure to the wound and tying tourniquets for those trained to act quickly in emergency situations. Previous Next

< Back May 13, 2019 COLEMAN, GONZALES-GUTIERREZ BILLS TO SUPPORT COLLEGE STUDENTS SIGNED INTO LAW (May 13) – Gov. Polis signed two bills sponsored by House Democrats at Metro State University today. First up was Rep. James Coleman’s bill, HB19-1187, which will help increase federal financial aid application completion rates. Colorado students missed out on as much as $50 million in financial aid last year due to students failing to complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. “We are letting our hard-earned taxpayer dollars go to other states because our students are not filling out their FAFSA forms,” said Rep. Coleman, D-Denver. “This new law will help Colorado get a huge return on our investment in our students, ensure more students have the tools they need to succeed and make our higher-ed institutions stronger.” Finally, Polis signed a bill to expand state financial aid resources for ASSET students. HB19-1196, sponsored by Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, will provide Advancing Students for a Strong Tomorrow (ASSET) students the ability to receive state financial aid. “Increasing the eligibility for state financial aid will help Colorado’s rural institutions that lack financial resources to supplement state financial aid for ASSET students,” said Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. “Improving access to higher education by increasing financial assistance will erase our state’s equity gaps and serve as an investment in Colorado’s future.” Previous Next

Package boosts funding for at-risk students, child care, behavioral health care and services for older Coloradans < Back February 7, 2024 House Advances Supplemental Budget Package DENVER, CO - The House today advanced the FY 2024-2025 Budget Supplemental Package on a preliminary vote. The package of bills includes $4.6 million for at-risk students, $11 million for child care and $69.4 million toward expanded access to behavioral health care treatment, including residential beds. Other top priorities in the package include funding for autism care for children, workforce housing, victims of crime, and senior services including Meals on Wheels. “From boosting child care to investing in public safety, this supplemental package delivers on our promise to Coloradans,” said JBC Chair Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster . “These adjustments to our budget will make it easier for Colorado families to not only just get by, but thrive, and they increase support for at-risk students, children with autism spectrum disorder and healthy school meals. I’m proud of our bipartisan work to put Coloradans first and continue to responsibly balance our budget.” “This year’s supplemental package shows our dedication to building a Colorado that meets the needs of its people while responsibly working with the limited budget that we have,” said JBC Member Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “I’m proud that our supplemental package makes critical investments to support our behavioral health workforce, boost education funding, save Coloradans money on energy efficient lawn equipment, and advance critical measures that will help us better fund our schools.” Each year, the legislature adopts a budget supplemental package to make mid-year adjustments to the 2023-2024 budget based on changes to caseload, pupil counts and other considerations. Supporting Education, Setting Students Up for Success HB24-1183 Boosting Funding for At-Risk Students . To support at-risk students in their educational journey, this bill funds over $4.6 million from the State Public School Fund. This bill helps school districts meet the needs of their at-risk students to help them succeed and graduate. HB24-1183 Reaching Educational Goals . To ensure that Colorado schools have the funding they need, HB24-1183 sets aside $2.8 million for two adequacy studies required by SB23-287 to better understand the level of funding Colorado schools need to provide the education students deserve. HB24-1205 Improving Youth’s Access to Books. This bill helps get more books into the hands of our youngest Coloradans by helping the Imagination Library reach its goal of providing one, no cost, book a month to children under the age of five. This bill specifically allows the Imagination Library of Colorado program to partner with other nonprofit organizations and book publishers to reach its goal. HB24-1206 Expanding the Healthy School Meals program . This bill would expand the Healthy School Meals program to include facility schools as well the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. This bill aims to ensure all youth have access to healthy, nutritious food during the school day. Boosting Childcare HB24-1182 Saving Families Money on Child Care. HB24-1182 allocates over $11 million of federal Child Care Development Funds money to the Child Care Sustainability Grant Program and the Early Care and Education Recruitment and Retention Grant and Scholarship Program. Increasing Access to Behavioral Health HB24-1187 Behavioral Health Services in the Criminal Justice System. This bill devotes $58 million to properly staff hospitals that house patients with pending criminal charges that require competency evaluations and services. HB24-1187 Boosting Mental Health Care. This bill supports mental health care by funding $13.1 million to Pueblo’s Colorado Mental Health Hospital so they can fill staff openings with contract staffers. HB24-1203 Increase Residential Treatment Beds. To ensure Coloradans can receive the behavioral health care treatment they need, when they need it this bill allocates $11.4 million for inpatient treatment beds at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan. HB24-1185 Provider Rate Increase for Child Autism Therapy. This bill meets the recommendations of the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee by offering $10.4 million to increase rates for child behavioral therapies with autism spectrum disorder. Improving Public Safety HB24-1214 Supporting Victims of Crime. This bill aims to support survivors of crime by boosting the Community Crime Victims Grant Program with a $4 million investment. This fund directly supports qualified victims of crime through assisting with emergency housing, child care and medical visits. HB24-1197 Protecting Places of Worship. To aid local places of worship, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques, in ramping up their security measures, this bill allocates $1 million toward the Colorado Nonprofit Security Grant Program. HB24-1181 Increase Workforce Housing for Correctional Staff. The bill allocates an additional $120,000 to the Department of Corrections to secure housing for up to 50 correctional employees in the greater Buena Vista area. HB24-1197 Boosting School Security. To help schools keep their students safe through improved physical security measures as well as advanced security training for their staff and teachers, this bill sets aside more than $200,000 in grant funding for local education providers and eligible nonprofits to apply for. Uplifting Communities HB24-1187 Providing Services for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind. Allocating $500,000 for the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind allows the state to meet the rising demand for the long-term needs of Coloradans and maintain accessibility services these communities rely on. Supporting Services for Older Coloradans HB24-1211 Ensuring Older Coloradans have Access to Nutritious Meals. Due to interruptions in federal funding, older Coloradans who use the popular Meals on Wheels food delivery program could experience a lapse in service. This bill offers $2 million in supplemental funding to the Meals on Wheels program and other senior services to ensure the thousands of Coloradans who rely on these programs can have access to healthy, nutritional meals. Reaching our Climate Goals HB24-1196 Saving Coloradans Money on Lawn Equipment . To save Coloradans money on electrifying their lawn equipment, this bill includes a $1.3 million grant renewal to help Coloradans transition to eco-friendly, electric lawnmowers, leaf blowers and other lawn equipment. HB24-1196 Protecting Colorado’s Water. The Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision left Colorado’s wetlands vulnerable to pollution and destruction. This bill allocates over $214,000 to ensure the state can educate on and protect Colorado’s water and ecosystems. Previous Next

Democratic members of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) today released the following statements after the Legislative Council Staff and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting delivered the June economic forecasts. < Back June 20, 2023 JOINT RELEASE: Forecast Shows Colorado Economy Remains Strong, Despite Headwinds DENVER, CO – Democratic members of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) today released the following statements after the Legislative Council Staff and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting delivered the June economic forecasts. “Today’s forecast shows that Colorado’s economic outlook remains positive, despite the structural difficulties and potential further challenges that we face,” said JBC Chair Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada. “Thanks to smart, responsible budgeting we have been able to bolster support for Colorado’s families by investing in housing, health care, and education, and we are committed to protecting those gains and ensuring that Colorado remains on a sound and sensible economic path, enabling our state to thrive for generations to come.” "Despite persistent inflation, Colorado's economy remains strong with one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the nation,” said JBC Vice-Chair Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “Today’s forecast showed Colorado’s continued growth, but underscores the ongoing need to budget and govern responsibly as we find ways to make the most impact for Coloradans with limited resources. I’m proud that we have prioritized investments in the services our communities need, like education, public safety and at the same time, have built a strong reserve. This kind of smart budgeting will help us weather any possible economic headwinds that we may face.” “The numbers we saw today show that while Colorado’s economy remains strong, there are mixed signals that could spell trouble on the horizon if left unchecked,” JBC Member Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, said. “That’s why we worked so hard this session to craft a thoughtful, flexible budget that meets the needs of families and communities across our state. I am proud of the work we’ve done to support Coloradans during this volatile economic period, and I look forward to continuing our work to set Colorado on a path to further economic success.” “This economic forecast showed Colorado is on a steady track forward," said JBC Member Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “We've made important progress over the years to support our youngest learners, save Coloradans money on health care and reduce the cost of living. While this economic forecast looks promising, Colorado continues to face some fiscal constraints. This includes inflation in the rental housing market, making it more challenging for Coloradans to keep pace with rising costs. We've budgeted wisely to be able to provide critical services to our communities and must continue to make smart choices with our limited public dollars so that all Coloradans can thrive." Colorado’s economy continues to grow, with an unemployment rate of 2.8 percent, which is lower than before the pandemic and below the national average of 3.7 percent, with total employment growth clocking in at around 1.1 percent. The Legislative Council Staff (LCS) forecast anticipates General Fund revenues to be $17.70 billion in FY 2022-2023 and $17.76 billion in FY 2023-2024 – a $540 million increase for FY 2022-2023 and a $20 million increase for FY 2023-2024 as compared with the earlier March revenue forecast. The LCS forecast anticipates General Fund revenues to be $18.57 billion for FY 2024-2025. The Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) anticipates that General Fund revenue will be $17.80 billion for FY 2022-2023, an $806 million increase over the March forecast. For FY 2023-2024, OSPB revised down its projected General Fund revenue by $178.9 million to $16.52 billion. For FY 2024-2025, OSPB estimates that General Fund revenue will be $18.14 billion, an increase of $146.2 billion as compared with the March forecast. The forecast anticipates continued growth as Colorado stands well positioned to fare better in the case of a downturn. Factors that could improve the forecast include slowing inflation in the services industry, stronger wage growth, and a rebound in real wages, and reduced housing costs. Risks that could negatively impact the forecast include persistent inflation leading to further restrictive monetary policies and continued geopolitical and trade uncertainty. Previous Next

Letter urges Speaker Mike Johnson to reject the rideshare liability provision in upcoming transportation bill < Back June 15, 2026 NO FREE RIDES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: Willford Leads 275+ State Lawmakers Calling on Congress to Protect Victims of Rideshare Sexual Assault DENVER, CO – Colorado State Representative Jenny Willford today organized a letter to U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson demanding that Congress strike an amendment from the BUILD America 250 Act that would undermine recently enacted rideshare accountability and safety laws. Willford, who survived a rideshare sexual assault and sponsored Colorado’s landmark rideshare safety law, signed on to the letter with more than 275 women state legislators from 42 states and one territory that outlines the harm of a narrowly adopted amendment. In the letter, the lawmakers warn that the amendment “...would make it far harder and, in the cases that matter most, effectively impossible to hold multibillion-dollar rideshare corporations accountable in court when a passenger or a driver is sexually assaulted on its platform.” If adopted, the amendment would also preempt the state safety laws enacted this year, including Colorado’s HB26-1424 and Virginia’s HB-1273 and HB-1469, which strengthened driver verification and cracked down on impersonation following documented assaults. “Two years ago, a rideshare driver sexually assaulted me within view of my own home. I know exactly what is at stake when a corporation sells you safety and then walks away,” said Colorado State Representative Jenny Willford, who wrote and passed Colorado’s landmark rideshare safety law this year and organized the letter. “Survivors fought for our day in court, and we are winning, but Congress wants to change the rules. This amendment is a permission slip for rideshare companies to continue their limited accountability and safety measures that place riders and drivers in dangerous situations. Our coalition is vast, but one thing we all can agree on is that no corporation gets a free ride from accountability. Speaker Johnson must strike Amendment 041.” “In Virginia, we did the work. We held the hearings, we listened to survivors, and we passed real protections and the Governor signed them,” said Virginia Delegate Jackie Glass , who passed rideshare safety legislation in the Commonwealth this year. “Now, a single amendment, slipped into a highway bill at two in the morning, would override what our states just built. State legislatures must keep the power to see a danger in our communities and act on it. Congress should be raising the bar on safety - not cutting the floor out from under us.” The lawmakers wrote that if the amendment remains, it “would extend the vicarious-liability shield of the Graves Amendment to app-based rideshare and delivery companies…” . This essentially eliminates all opportunities for survivors to seek justice. In addition to this letter, on June 10th, 128 members of Congress, led by the Democratic Women’s Caucus, sent Speaker Johnson their own letter calling for the provision’s removal. State and federal lawmakers are urging the House to strike Amendment 041 before the BUILD America 250 Act reaches the floor. The letter is below and attached. The list of signatories is available here . “ June 15, 2026 The Honorable Mike Johnson Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives H-232, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Re: Strike Amendment 041 (the Fong Amendment) from H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act Dear Speaker Johnson: We write as women who serve in state legislatures across the country to urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to strike Amendment 041, the Fong Amendment, before the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870) is brought to the House Floor. The amendment, adopted in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by a narrow 35–30 vote, would extend the vicarious-liability shield of the Graves Amendment to app-based rideshare and delivery companies. In plain terms, it would make it far harder and, in the cases that matter most, effectively impossible to hold multibillion-dollar rideshare corporations accountable in court when a passenger or a driver is sexually assaulted on its platform. We hold different views on many things. On this we do not differ: under no circumstances should any corporation be shielded from liability for sexual assault. The scale of the harm is not speculative. In August 2025, a New York Times investigation by Emily Steel, drawing on sealed court records, reported that from 2017 through 2022 some 400,181 Uber trips in the United States generated reports of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, an average of roughly one report every eight minutes. That figure dwarfs the 12,522 incidents the company had publicly disclosed for the same period. The reporting also documented that the company developed safety tools its own experts believed could reduce assaults, and declined to fully deploy them. The courts are now reckoning with that record. More than 3,000 passengers from roughly states have brought claims consolidated in In re: Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation (MDL No. 3084) in the Northern District of California. In February 2026, the first bellwether jury awarded a survivor $8.5 million, finding the driver was acting as the company’s apparent agent. That same month, a federal panel consolidated sexual-assault cases against Lyft into a multidistrict litigation before the same court. State and federal officials have opened their own inquiries, including the New Jersey Attorney General and a U.S. House oversight subcommittee. These numbers represent real people across the country: a passenger in New York fell asleep after a night out and woke to her driver in the back seat, with a hospital later confirming a sexual assault; a rider in Texas whose roughly twenty-minute trip became a multi-hour ordeal ending in rape; women in Utah and California subjected to unwanted touching and worse; and, in Denver, a man kidnapped a dozen women and sexually assaulted two before his conviction on thirty counts. The danger runs in both directions: investigators and survivors’ advocates emphasize that this crisis harms passengers and drivers alike. Drivers, too, have been assaulted by strangers an algorithm placed in their cars with little to no safety restrictions. Proponents describe Amendment 041 as a narrow fix for "abusive litigation" and insurance costs. There is nothing narrow about the amendment, as it will serve to essentially eliminate Uber and Lyft's accountability for sexual assault. We urge you to look past the framing to the mechanics. The amendment imports the Graves Amendment model (49 U.S.C. § 30106) which strips vicarious liability from rental car companies. There is a critical qualitative difference between rental car companies and rideshare companies. Vicarious liability and common-carrier duty are precisely the theories on which survivors hold companies answerable, because with rideshare companies it is the company, not the individual driver, that controls the platform, runs the background check, dispatches the ride, and sets the safety rules. Stripping those theories away does not trim a frivolous claim; it forecloses the meritorious ones. An Arizona jury that held Uber accountable did so on exactly the agency theory this amendment is designed to extinguish. We would ask the provision’s defenders a simple question: can they name any other industry in America that Congress has granted immunity from liability for sexual assault committed through its service? We are aware of none. The Graves Amendment itself expressly preserves liability for an owner’s own negligence or criminal wrongdoing, and it concerns vehicle crashes, not sexual violence. Common carriers such as airlines, buses, and taxis have long owed their passengers a heightened duty of care, not a shield from their own responsibility. Carving out a singular exception for the most powerful platforms in the mobility economy would be without precedent. This amendment would also run directly against Congress’s own recent and bipartisan actions. Just four years ago, in the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2022, the first substantive amendment to the Federal Arbitration Act in roughly a century, Congress decided that survivors of sexual assault must be free to bring their claims in open court, rather than be forced into private arbitration. Amendment 041 would take back with one hand what that law extended with the other. It allows survivors to reach the courthouse, only to bar the door once they are inside. Congress should not, in the space of a single, unrelated transportation bill, reverse a protection it so recently and deliberately enacted. The amendment would also override the considered work of state legislatures responding to documented harms in our own communities. This year alone, Virginia enacted HB 1273 and HB 1469, signed by Governor Spanberger, tightening driver background checks and identity verification and requiring in-app recording options. And in Colorado, after a multiyear effort led by a legislator who was sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver, the General Assembly passed HB26-1424, with the Governor expected to sign it into law. That measure cracks down on driver impersonation and account-sharing, and strengthens the state’s ability to hold companies accountable. A federal vicarious-liability shield would preempt precisely the accountability these laws were written to secure. State legislatures must retain the ability to identify a problem in their communities and to enact meaningful, responsive policy. That is the constitutional design, and it is a practical one: these harms look different in Denver than in Norfolk, and the people closest to them are best positioned to respond. It is telling and deeply troubling that when Uber and Lyft could not prevail in state legislatures, city councils, or in the courtroom, they turned to Congress to change the rules for everyone at once. This matters all the more because of what these companies have spent years, and billions of dollars, telling the public about themselves. Uber markets itself as a safe ride home and has built campaigns around the image of friends out for the night and the responsible choice not to drive. It has partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, with Feeding America, and with the American Red Cross, and Lyft has done the same. Companies that sell safety and positive community impacts as their products, that control the platform, take payment for the ride, pay the driver, and shape the marketing, cannot credibly disclaim responsibility when that promise fails catastrophically. It is unacceptable to sell a promise of safety and then turn away when the stakes are highest. Uber tells the world that its first value is to “Do the right thing. Period.” We want to take the company at its word. Doing the right thing here is straightforward: it means not seeking, and not quietly accepting, a federal shield from accountability for sexual assault. To our knowledge, since Amendment 041 was adopted, neither Uber nor Lyft has publicly asked Congress to remove it. Their silence prompts the only question that matters: do the right thing for whom? We respectfully and urgently ask you to strike Amendment 041 from H.R. 8870 before the bill reaches the House Floor. Survivors deserve their day in court. States deserve the authority to protect their residents. And no corporation, however large, should be permitted to write itself out of responsibility for the gravest harms committed on the platform it controls. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.” Previous Next

< Back March 2, 2021 HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY PASSES BILL TO PREVENT EXTORTION, PROTECT IMMIGRANTS, WORKERS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS DENVER, CO– The House today passed a bipartisan bill to prevent the extortion of undocumented immigrants by closing a gap in current statute. The bill was passed by a vote of 64-0. “This simple bill will ensure that everyone in our communities, regardless of citizenship status, is protected from extortion by our laws,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood. “The current gap in statutes has left immigrants, especially workers and victims of domestic and sexual violence, vulnerable. By expanding the definition of extortion in our laws, we’re giving prosecutors a crucial tool to make our communities safer.” “While this bill specifically protects immigrants from extortion, advancing the cause of justice and public safety is a goal we should all work towards together,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “The bill we passed today will give prosecutors like me the tools we need to protect vulnerable members of our communities from extortion and hopefully prevent some of these crimes from happening in the first place. I’m proud of the step we took to make our communities safer.” The current definition of criminal extortion already includes the practice of threatening to disclose a person’s immigration status to law enforcement in order to force them to give up something of value. HB21-1057 expands this definition to include coercing another person to either engage in or refrain from engaging in what would otherwise be a legal act. This expanded definition would address instances of wage theft, domestic violence and other instances where a person’s immigration status is used to deny them what is lawfully theirs. Previous Next

< Back April 19, 2022 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS BILL DENVER, CO – The House Transportation & Local Government Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to provide volunteer firefighters with more resources and tools to combat wildfires. “Colorado’s wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive — it is critical that we invest our firefighters so they have the tools they need to protect our land, homes and lives,” said Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton. “The work of local fire departments will only become more difficult as climate change continues. So our bipartisan bill provides the funding our local fire departments need to upgrade old equipment, recruit new seasonal firefighters, improve training and address the behavioral health needs of our firefighters.” Resources For Volunteer Firefighters : SB22-002 , sponsored by Representative Lisa Cutter and Perry Will would invest $5 million to better prepare local fire departments and their firefighters for wildfires. Specifically, this bill would make local volunteer fire departments eligible for reimbursement for wildland fire suppression activities, including equipment costs and volunteer firefighter recruitment, training and retention. Local fire departments will also be able to use funds from the Local Firefighter Safety and Disease Prevention Grant Program for the replacement or disposal of damaged or obsolete equipment. The bill also creates the Firefighter Behavioral Health Benefits Trust to provide behavioral health care services to firefighters and paid for by public employers. SB22-002 passed committee unanimously. As climate change elevates the threat of destructive wildfires in Colorado, this bill aims to provide funding to Colorado’s local fire departments so they have the resources needed to purchase necessary equipment, train seasonal firefighters and respond safely to wildfires. Previous Next