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Lyft urges Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to veto rideshare bill

By May 13, 2025 | updated 10 months ago

In this Jan. 31, 2018, file photo, a Lyft driver opens the Lyft app on his phone while waiting for a fare in Pittsburgh. ((AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File))

Lyft is urging Gov. Jared Polis to veto a measure establishing further safety regulations on rideshare companies.

Passed by the legislature, House Bill 1291 would require rideshare companies to conduct criminal background checks on drivers at least once every six months and review drivers who have had complaints filed against them by riders. If the company determines that the allegation is “more than likely to have occurred,” it must deactivate the driver’s profile.

The bill includes a number of other provisions, including requiring rideshare companies to respond to subpoenas and search warrants within 48 hours, allowing drivers to opt in to audio and video recordings of rides, and prohibiting drivers from sharing with or renting accounts to individuals not registered with the app.

House Bill 1291 was spearheaded by Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, who claims she was sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver in February of 2024. District Attorney Brian Mason filed charges against the driver earlier today.

In a letter issued to the governor, Lyft’s Chief Policy Officer Jerry Golden says the bill is well-intended but “sets operational requirements that ignore and ultimately will not improve conditions for riders and drivers.”

Golden argues the bill contradicts itself by simultaneously including provisions that could restrict rideshare companies from deactivating drivers who may present safety concerns and “punishing” those same companies with increased liability and litigation for failing to deactivate an account.

“The bill also contains uncertain and poorly thought out provisions including language that makes it easier for individuals with recent DUIs to drive on [rideshare] platforms, and the creation of private rights of action against individual drivers and riders, subverting the purported benefits of the bill,” Golden wrote.

Last month, Uber threatened to leave the state if the bill was signed into law — that came before significant amendments were made to the bill in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session, but it seems they weren’t enough to quell rideshare companies’ concerns with the measure.

Golden criticized the “last minute” amendments, which he said were made without consideration to the long-term implications they could have on riders and drivers.

“As a result, we believe it would be better to veto this bill and pursue more effective avenues for enhancing safety, rather than enacting a law that ultimately harms those it seeks to protect,” he concluded.

According to a spokesperson from the governor’s office, Polis is “committed to making Colorado safer for everyone, including making sure ride-sharing companies are keeping riders and drivers safe. He has shared concerns about privacy, conflicts with federal and existing state law, and the ability of the bill to be successfully implemented, as well as the ability for TNCs to successfully comply. He wants TNC companies to continue to operate in Colorado supporting nearly 50,000 jobs. He will review the final version of the bill.”

In this Jan. 31, 2018, file photo, a Lyft driver opens the Lyft app on his phone while waiting for a fare in Pittsburgh. ((AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File))
In this Jan. 31, 2018, file photo, a Lyft driver opens the Lyft app on his phone while waiting for a fare in Pittsburgh. ((AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File))
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Marissa Ventrelli

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