JOINT RELEASE: Effective August 12: Laws to Improve Safety After Tragic Colorado Deaths

DENVER, CO – Three bills to improve safety, each named after the young victims of tragic deaths in Colorado, will go into effect August 12.

SB26-060, sponsored by Senator Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, and Representative Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial, will help keep student athletes safe by informing coaches and parents of the mental health risks of concussions. 

“As researchers learn more and more about the effects of concussions on our brains and mental health, we must ensure coaches, counselors, families, and athletes know the potential impacts,” Daugherty said. “Education saves lives. This new law, named in honor of the athlete Alyssa Peterson, will help more athletes in their journeys of recovery from concussions.”

“The health and safety of Colorado’s student athletes is a top priority, which is why it is crucial that parents and coaches are aware of the physical symptoms of a concussion to keep children safe,” said Hamrick. “Our new law adds to training for youth coaches so they’re informed about the mental health risks from a concussion sustained by a youth athlete, including anxiety and depression. We’re stepping up to keep our student athletes safe by updating training requirements and spreading awareness to athletes' parents and the community.”

Cosponsored by Senator Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, and Representative Ty Winter, R-Trinidad, the law, also known as “Alyssa’s Youth Concussion and Mental Health Protection Act,” requires youth coaches to receive training on a broad spectrum of mental health issues. It is named in honor of Alyssa Peterson, who died by suicide following a series of concussions at age 13. 

Under current law, youth athletic coaches must complete a concussion recognition course and remove an athlete from play if they suspect the athlete has a concussion. They must also inform the athlete’s parents or guardians and advise that the athlete seek an evaluation from a licensed healthcare provider. This law expands the training to include more information on the mental health of youth athletes for coaches at middle, junior and high schools. The mental health education course applies to youth coaches at public and private middle schools, high schools, clubs, leagues and recreation facilities.

Additionally, this law requires coaches to inform parents or guardians of athletes who sustain a concussion of possible changes in their mental health as a result of the concussion. Mental health impacts of a concussion can include mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation.

HB26-1318, sponsored by Senator Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, and Representatives Kenny Nguyen, D-Broomfield, and Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, will improve traffic safety standards around schools. 

“School zones are not properly or clearly defined, and this confusion has put students at risk,” Cutter said. “Losing a child due to a traffic accident on their way to or from school is tragic and unnecessary. This new law will put in place some commonsense regulations to keep students safe.”

“This law is about creating safer streets for Colorado students,” said Nguyen. “With our law going into effect, our communities can create safer roads for students by using technology to enforce school zone speed limits and modernizing Colorado’s traffic laws. Mitigating traffic accidents will reduce risks for pedestrians and cyclists and help save Colorado lives.”

“Too many parents have suffered the tragic loss or injury of their child because of speeding and distracted drivers, and our law seeks to make roads around Colorado schools safer for all,” said Froelich. “This law, named Liam’s Law in honor of a Littleton student, creates guidelines for school zones and allows local governments to designate roads as walking and cycling corridors to remove the risk of car collisions. Coloradans deserve safe roads, and now, we are giving our communities more tools to strengthen road safety for Colorado students.”

HB26-1318, “the Liam Stewart School Zone Act,” will set roadway signage requirements around schools to strengthen road safety for students and road users. The law will define school zones as all roadways within at least 1,000 feet of a school boundary, and require these roadways to have signage indicating the 1,000-foot school zone boundary and that driving penalties are doubled in this area. Existing school zones between 200 and 1,000 feet from the school may keep their current school zone boundaries, but must follow the law’s process for modifying these boundaries.

Under the law, if a local government wishes to reduce the size of a school zone from its current dimensions, it must first hold a public hearing to ensure the community is aware of this change and given an opportunity to weigh in. The law also allows jurisdictions to expand school zone boundaries as they see fit and to raise revenue through bonding to fund school zone signage. Additionally, local governments may designate streets adjacent to schools as “school streets,” and may close the school street to vehicles and require vehicles to yield to non-vehicle road users. The maximum speed limit on school streets will be set to 10 miles per hour.

The law also allows a state or local government to use an automated vehicle identification system to detect traffic violations in a school zone or on a Safe Route to School, which is defined as a designated roadway that is frequented by pedestrians and cyclists when commuting to and from school.

This law is inspired by a fatal accident in 2023 that took the life of Liam Stewart, a Littleton middle schooler, who was hit by a car while biking to school.

SB26-132, Magnus’ Law, sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and Representative Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, will require law enforcement officers to offer a voluntary alcohol breathalyzer test to drivers involved in motor vehicle crashes that result in death or injury. Law enforcement must advise the individual of their right to refuse the test.

"I've worked with victims of tragedies, especially when I worked as Deputy District Attorney, and I know how important it is to have as much evidence as possible from the scene of a serious crash," Roberts said. "Magnus, his parents, family and community didn't get to have that. But, in his honor, we're making sure that no more Colorado families will have to suffer the consequences of that oversight.”

“We’re improving accountability for those involved in a vehicle crash that results in serious injury or death,” said Joseph. “This law helps ensure that crucial information, like whether or not drugs or alcohol are found in the system of the involved driver, is captured in a timely manner. I am honored to champion Magnus’ Law to honor Magnus White’s legacy and make our roadways safer for all Coloradans.”

The Governor signed SB26-132 on June 4 at a ceremony joined by the family of Magnus White, a 17-year-old cyclist hit and killed by a driver in the summer of 2023.