Colorado Democrats push for stricter background checks for Lyft, Uber drivers
A Colorado lawmaker is calling for stricter safety provisions on ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft one year after she said she was sexually assaulted by a driver.
Rep. Jenny Willford, a Northglenn Democrat, is sponsoring a consumer protection bill that would require stronger background checks, driver identity verification and video recording during the drive.
'For too long, (transportation network companies) like Uber and Lyft have operated with virtually no accountability. They control the platform. They set the rules,' she said. 'But when something goes wrong and someone gets hurt, when lives are shattered and forever changed, they deflect. They pretend it isn't their problem, and they dodge responsibility.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The bill, which is set to be introduced soon, will also be sponsored by Rep. Meg Froelich of Englewood, Sen. Jessie Danielson of Wheat Ridge and Sen. Faith Winter of Westminster, all Democrats.
They announced the bill during a Friday morning press conference surrounded by about a dozen colleagues holding signs that read 'One sexual assault is too many' and 'Rideshare safety now.'
Willford sued Lyft earlier this year over an alleged sexual assault that occurred last February. The driver who picked her up was using someone else's account, Willford said, made inappropriate comments during the drive and assaulted her a short distance from her home.
The bill, according to draft text, would require a series of increased safety measures for ride-sharing drivers to become authorized. They would need to undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history record check, a higher standard than the current name-only background checks ride-sharing companies currently prefer. Those checks would be required every six months.
Taxi and limousine drivers in Colorado are currently required to undergo a fingerprint background check.
Ride-sharing drivers in New York City must submit fingerprints, and a Boston city councilor is calling for a similar requirement after a recent alleged sexual assault in the city.
The bill 'requires real background checks, not the easily manipulated name-based ones that these companies rely on, but fingerprint-based screenings, like we require in every other safety critical industry that work with vulnerable populations, because you cannot fake fingerprints,' Willford said.
Additionally, drivers would need to prove that they are the one connected to the approved account when they pick up a rider, either through an in-vehicle dashboard camera, live selfie, biometric verification or other method that 'effectively verifies' their identity.
The bill would also require continuous audio and video recording during rides, with an opt-out provision. A 2024 survey from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that about 37% of people consider security cameras in taxis and rideshares to be very important to safety.
It would also set standards for the timeline and type of data and information a ride-sharing company would need to provide in the event of a public utilities commission complaint or request from law enforcement.
'This legislation will demand transparency, requiring TNCs to track and report violent incidents and to provide critical evidence to survivors and law enforcement within 24 hours, not weeks or months later. It will ensure that drivers who commit crimes or violate these protections never drive again,' Willford said.
Finally, ride-sharing companies would need to submit an annual report to the state about reported instances of assault, stalking, harassment, murder or car accidents on the platform.
Willford said that if enacted, the bill would create the strongest suite of protections for riders in any state.
Neither Lyft nor Uber immediately responded to a request for comment on the legislation.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Trace Gallagher: ‘Common Sense' was up late watching Colbert's interview with Kamala Harris…
'Common Sense' Department: Kamala Harris claims the political system is broken. Is the issue the system or Democratic leadership? The CSD has thoughts.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Senate confirms Trump's pick to oversee higher ed, a man tied to for-profit colleges
The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to oversee higher education policy, a man with deep ties to the for-profit college industry, by a 50-to-45 vote on August 1. Senate Majority John Thune filed cloture on Kent's nomination earlier in the week. And the education committee had already advanced Kent on a 12-11 vote without a hearing in late May. The undersecretary at the Department of Education oversees billions in federal financial aid and is charged with ensuring America's colleges provide a quality education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon had previously told USA TODAY that Kent is a 'natural leader' whose experience and concern for students 'make him the ideal selection for under secretary of education." He had won the support of several prominent university trade groups who are opposed to Trump's attacks on universities, but said they supported Kent's nomination. His confirmation comes as the Trump administration seeks to reshape higher education and has launched numerous investigations into high profile universities. Kent had already been working at the agency on the administration's initiatives like K-12 school choice. But prior to working in the government, Kent had a long history working for or close to for-profit colleges. From 2008 to the end of 2015, Kent worked for Education Affiliates, a for-profit college company. When he left, he was a vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs. In 2015, the Department of Justice announced the company had agreed to a $13 million settlement to settle accusations it had gamed the federal financial aid system. The company told USA TODAY Kent was not involved in the settlement or the allegations of fraud. Critics, including student advocacy groups and teacher unions, had called on the Senate education committee to put Kent through a public hearing to answer questions about his time working for the company. And one of the original whistleblowers tied to that case, Dorothy Thomas, expressed concern about someone from the company's leadership holding the under secretary position. Kent had also worked for Career Education Colleges and Universities, a for-profit college trade group. He developed a reputation for deep policy knowledge while speaking against regulations geared toward the for-profit college industry. That group's CEO, Jason Altmire, said Kent was not driven by partisan politics and would bring an unbiased view to the under secretary position. He then went to work for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration as a deputy secretary of education. Youngkin, in a prepared statement, said Kent improved how Virginia manages colleges and made them more accountable to students and families through increased transparency. Chair of the Virginia Senate's education committee, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi, told USA TODAY Kent had tried to destabilize accreditation in the state and he was aligned with efforts to dismantle consumer protections. In a departing message to the commonwealth, Kent said he was proud of reducing costs while pushing for free speech and accountability at Virginia's colleges. Chris Quintana is an investigative reporter at USA TODAY. He can be reached at cquintana@ or via Signal at 202-308-9021. He is on X at @CQuintanaDC
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
No nominees deal
The Senate will try to break an impasse Friday to advance three spending bills in hopes of showing progress after days of discord. A separate holdup over presidential nominations, meanwhile, could come down to direct talks between Democrats and the White House. A patchwork of objections from senators on both sides of the aisle have held up the spending legislation for days and foiled a plan for what some had hoped would be a four-bill package. But members expressed new optimism Friday that a second, more limited attempt could move forward. It's one of two pieces of major business Republican leaders are hoping to wrap up before the Senate starts its traditional summer recess. In addition to the spending bills — where they are keen to show some progress ahead of the Sept. 30 government shutdown deadline — they also want to confirm a broad tranche of President Donald Trump's nominees. The nominee conversations appear more dicey, senators said, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Friday that he has put Trump officials 'into conversation directly' with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's team. Top White House staffers were also in the Capitol on Thursday night after Thune met with Trump at the White House. 'This is how this is ultimately going to get resolved,' Thune said. Meanwhile, GOP senators said leaders are running traps on a possible deal that would advance the smaller package of spending bills. Under the pending proposal, leaders would seek unanimous consent to tie together the fiscal 2026 spending bills funding the Veterans Affairs and Agriculture departments, as well as military construction projects and the FDA. A third spending bill, funding Congress itself, could be voted on separately. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said Friday morning she expects a unanimous consent request on some constellation of those three bills. The Maine Republican is eager to show progress on bipartisan spending bills before the Senate leaves for its lengthy August recess. Upon their return, members will have only a handful of session days to make further progress ahead of the shutdown deadline. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has made clear he will object to including Legislative Branch funding in the package and wants the chance to vote against the $7.1 billion bill. It's the smallest of the 12 annual appropriations bills, but Kennedy maintains it still costs too much. 'They agreed to my proposal,' he told reporters Friday. 'They're going to have one vote on [Military Construction–VA] and [Agriculture-FDA] together and separate vote on [Legislative Branch] so I can vote no. Then they'll marry them up later if all three pass, as they probably will.' Coming to a nominations deal could be much trickier, given Trump's determination to get all of his 150-plus pending nominees confirmed quickly. Trump on Thursday said on Truth Social that the Senate 'must stay in Session, taking no recess' until all of the nominees are confirmed. Even if senators stay in Washington, that goal will be all but impossible to meet absent Democratic cooperation. Democrats under Schumer are exploring whether to quickly confirm a smaller subset of nominees in exchange for other concessions, such as the release of government funding they claim has been illegally 'impounded' by the Trump administration. Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.
