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First Regular Session | 75th General Assembly
Colorado General Assembly

PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For HB25-1290

SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
Date Apr 7, 2025       Location Old Supreme Court

HB25-1290 - Lay Over
02:55:26 PM  
Senator Mullica, bill sponsor, presented House Bill 25-1290, concerning transit worker safety.  The bill sponsor explained the effect of the bill and the need to better respond to transit worker assaults.

Committee members asked questions about assault charges, duplicative crimes, charging levels, and penalties.  Discussion ensued about carve-outs for certain professions. Further discussion followed about the bill and if, as written, it meets the intended goal of better protecting transit workers.
03:13:21 PM  

Mr. James Karbach, representing Colorado Public Defender's Office, testified in opposition to the bill and distributed a handout comparing the bill with current assault statutes (Attachment A).

Committee members asked questions about equal protection and proving certain elements of a crime.  Further questions were raised about how assaults on transit workers are currently charged. Conversation turned to timely response and enforcement in these situations and interplay with the Victim Rights Act.

03:32:42 PM  
Jason Buckley, representing ATU, testified in support of the bill. Kurt Hartnett, representing ATU, testified in support of the bill. Stacey McConnel, representing ATU, testified in support of the bill. Michael Davies, representing RTD, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked questions about the number of transit worker incidents and the jurisdictions in which they occurred.  Discussion followed about arrest authority and related charges.  Committee members raised concerns that the bill may make it harder to charge for an assault on a transit worker.  Further discussion ensued about the RTD transit police and cooperation with other police departments.
04:04:04 PM  
Meghan MacKillop, representing Colorado Counties, Inc, testified in support of the bill. Carl Smith, representing Smart Transportation Division, testified in support of the bill. Andrew Iltis, representing Downtown Denver Partnership, testified in support of the bill. Dennis Hawkins Williams, representing ATU, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked about the bill's application to passenger rail service.
04:15:11 PM  
Jamie Lewis, representing Colorado Cross Disability Coalition, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Nicholas Danz, representing SMART-Transportation Division, testified in support of the bill. Ann Rajewski, representing Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA), testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked about related investigations and prosecutions. Discussion followed about Amtrak.

The Chair kept the testimony phase open and laid the bill over until Monday, April 14, 2025, for further discussion and possible amendments.

Written comments about the bill are in Attachment B.