DEA8DF9FF3C787A787258C650072EF39 Hearing Summary

PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For HB25-1290

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

HB25-1290 - Lay Over

Attachment Tag

File Name

Attachment A

Attachment A□ Office of the State Public Defender Comparison.pdf

Attachment B

Attachment B□ Written Comments HB 1290 Transit Workers.pdf

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.

HB25-1290 - Lay Over

Colorado General Assembly