A motorist who fails to yield the right of way to a cyclist riding in a bicycle lane could be charged with a traffic infraction, under Senate Bill 20-61, a new Colorado law being proposed by Sen. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette.
The Colorado Division of Housing would be directed to create a program to reach out to homeless for the purpose of reducing wildfire risks in wildland-urban areas that homeless people may be occupying, under Senate Bill 20-18, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder.
Asphalt shingles could be transported and stored in railroad cars for delivery to a facility for the shingles’ recycling, and continued to be stored outside that facility pending the recycling, under Senate Bill 20-58 from Sen. Vicki Marble, R-Fort Collins.
A Student Success Innovation Pilot Program would be created in Colorado’s Department of Higher Education to promote collaborations by colleges and universities to create programs that increase the numbers of students who successfully complete their postsecondary education, under Senate Bill 20-31 from Sen. Tammy Story, D-Conifer.
Those are among the 45 bills introduced during the first week and a half of the 2020 legislative session — measures whose primary sponsors include Colorado Senate and House members whose districts include parts of Boulder County, southwest Weld County and Broomfield.
The proposals sponsored by members of the area’s legislative delegation are among 270 introduced through Friday, measures proposing new state laws or the repeal or revision of existing laws.
Foote said Monday he introduced his cyclist protection bill (after having heard from a number of cycling groups that a number of law enforcement agencies were enforcing bike-path regulations, and apparently interpreting current state law differently in different jurisdictions.
He said he hoped his bill would make it clear a cyclist in a designated bike lane was not at fault in the event of a collision or near-collision.
Foote’s SB20-61 would define a bicycle lane as “a portion of the roadway that has been designated by striping, signage or pavement markings for the exclusive use of bicycles. ‘Bicycle lane’ includes an intersection if the bicycle lane is marked on opposite sides of the intersection in the same direction of travel as the automobile traffic.”
The minimum penalty for such a traffic infraction would be $15, with higher possible fines for the failure-to-yield motorist who causes a crash, which would be classified as a careless driving offense.
Bicycle Colorado said on its website that it is “proud to support” what it called the “Yield To Bicycles In Bicycle Lanes” bill.
“This is an important right-of-way bill that will reinforce that bike lanes are a space where bicyclists are prioritized above those traveling via other modes,” Bicycle Colorado said.
Among the other bills whose primary sponsors include area lawmakers, and what they propose, according to summaries on the Colorado General Assembly’s bill descriptions:
- House Bill 20-1052 from Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, which would create privacy protections for government human services workers by prohibiting the internet posting of personal information about workers whose duties include investigating alleged child abuse or neglect, alleged mistreatment of at-risk adults, establishing and enforcing child support orders, or determining people’s eligibility for public-support programs.
- House Bill 20-1122 from Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder, which would update the “Colorado Homeless Youth Services Act” and establish a grant program for services for youth experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
- House Bill 20-1080 from Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, would repeal current law’s requirement that all managers and employees of a medical marijuana business or a retail marijuana business must be Colorado residents when they apply for licenses.
- House Bill 20-1078 from Rep. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-rural Longmont, which would specify the amounts that pharmacy benefit management firms are required to pay for certain claims and dispensing fees submitted by patients’ pharmacies and would prohibit the firms from charging retroactive fees.
- House Bill 20-1069 from Rep. Lori Saine, R-Dacono, which would require the state engineer to employ a minimum of four water well inspectors. It would also require the state’s water well construction and pump installation board to promulgate rules for identifying high-risk water wells that should be prioritized for inspections.
Bill introductions are to resume on Tuesday, when lawmakers return to the statehouse from the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
More information
Information about the Colorado Legislature, including the texts and status of bills introduced in the 2020 session and calendars of upcoming committee hearings and House and Senate floor work, can be found at leg.colorado.gov
