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.

Representative 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.”

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The bill, which is set to be introduced soon, will also be sponsored by Representative Meg Froelich of Englewood, Senator Jessie Danielson of Wheat Ridge and Senator 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 versus the current name and Social Security number background checks ride-sharing companies currently prefer.

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.

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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 percent 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.

Ride-sharing companies claim that the “unprecedented legislative proposal” would jeopardize operations in Colorado.

“All potential drivers undergo a rigorous background check before their first trip, which checks offenses and criminal records at the local, state, and federal levels. The arrest-based databases that are utilized for fingerprint-based background checks have significant gaps that reduce their efficacy and lead to discriminatory outcomes for communities of color,” Uber spokesperson Stefani Sass wrote in an email, referencing a 2023 paper.

Lyft spokesperson CJ Macklin also claimed that fingerprinting relies on a federal database that can be unreliable and discriminatory.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, which is why we’ve worked to design policies and features that help protect both drivers and riders. This includes a dedicated, around-the-clock safety response team, a partnership with ADT to aid in emergencies, ongoing background check procedures, and working with leading national organizations to inform our safety policies. We are always striving to improve safety and look forward to engaging lawmakers further on this important issue,” they wrote in an email.