Senate Passes Bills to Combat Wage Theft, Improve Safety on Colorado Highways

Legislation would ensure workers are able to recover legally earned wages, enhance safety for motorists and wildlife

DENVER, CO – The Senate today gave final approval to legislation that will ensure workers are able to recover legally earned wages, as well as reduce wildlife collisions on Colorado highways. 

SB22-161, sponsored by Senators Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, and Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Boulder County, would modernize Colorado’s wage enforcement procedures and ensure workers are able to recover their legally earned pay.

“Wage theft is far too prevalent in Colorado,” said Danielson. “It’s essential that we support the folks who work hard to keep Colorado’s economy running. This bill will ensure workers receive the full wages they have earned.”

“Right now, many workers are victims of wage theft without even realizing it,” Jaquez Lewis said. “With this bill, we’re empowering the Attorney General and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to collaborate and combat cases of wage theft. We must make sure workers receive the wages they are rightfully owed, and that violators are held accountable.”

The legislation empowers the Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to facilitate the collection of unpaid wages in wage theft cases by expanding investigatory authority to locate violators and streamlining enforcement of CDLE determinations in court. The bill also authorizes the Attorney General to partner with CDLE to investigate cases of wage theft and worker misclassification.

The Senate also passed SB22-151, sponsored by Senators Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, and Tammy Story, D-Confier, that would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve safety for wildlife and motorists on Colorado highways.

“Wildlife corridors are common sense ways to protect motorists, keep wildlife safe, and ensure habitats stay intact,” said Danielson. “This bill will help ecosystems thrive and help make sure our wild places continue to power Colorado’s economy for future generations.”

“Colorado is home to an abundance of wildlife that we need to protect,” said Story. “By investing in wildlife corridors along our highways, we will keep our wildlife safe and prevent dangerous collisions for our motorists.”

The bill would create a “Colorado Wildlife Safe Passages Mitigation Fund” for wildlife crossing projects on stretches of roads and highways with high rates of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) or where the ability of wildlife to move across the landscape has been hampered by high traffic volumes.

Both bills now move to the House for further consideration. Track the progress of SB22-161 HERE and SB22-151 HERE.