DENVER — More than 275 women state lawmakers signed a letter to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson urging Congress to remove a provision from a federal transportation bill they say would gut rideshare safety accountability.
The lawmakers say an amendment in the Build America 250 Act would:
"Make it far harder and effectively impossible to hold multibillion-dollar rideshare corporations accountable in court when a passenger or a driver is sexually assaulted."
Colorado state Sen. Katie Wallace co-led the effort behind the letter.
"I hope that members of the Colorado delegation and other members from across the country can work with the speaker before the bill comes to the House floor in order to remove this amendment. I don't think it should be debated on. I frankly don't think that it is worthy of the floor of the United States House of Representatives," Wallace said.
The amendment would also give legal immunity to rideshare apps for car crashes and injuries, as well as sexual assault, holding only individual drivers responsible.
According to Reuters, Uber has faced over 3,500 lawsuits accusing drivers of sexual misconduct. Lyft has faced 54.
The national push comes just weeks after Colorado enacted some of the strictest rideshare safety rules in the country. Denver7 closely tracked House Bill 142 through the legislature this session.
The law requires criminal background checks for the 35,000 rideshare drivers in Colorado at least every 6 months. It also allows drivers and riders to opt into audio and video recording of their rides and seeks annual safety and discrimination reports from the companies.
State Rep. Jenny Willford sponsored the bill after surviving a rideshare sexual assault herself.
"I'm one of the thousands of people who have been sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver," Willford said.
"I shouldn't have to tell my story over and over again. Other survivors shouldn't have to tell their stories over and over again to simply force a company to do the right thing," Willford said.
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