SB 25-069: Tire Chain Traction Control Device Permit - Colorado

Revised (04/29/2025) → PA1 (02/13/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change its status from a revised version to a preamended version, indicating that the changes reflect committee amendments not yet adopted by the full legislature. The substantive changes include new provisions for permit fees to be credited to the Highway Users Tax Fund, liability protections for the Department of Transportation, and new requirements for permit holders to wear reflective clothing and use traffic control devices when installing traction devices.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on permitting tire chain installation, but new operational requirements and funding mechanisms have been added.

FISCAL

Added provision requiring the State Treasurer to credit permit fees to the Highway Users Tax Fund.

ENFORCEMENT

Added liability protection for the Department of Transportation, stating the department assumes no responsibility for permit holder actions and is not liable for damages related to permit holder acts or omissions.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that individuals installing tire chains or traction devices must wear reflective clothing and use appropriate signs and traffic control devices.

Added requirement for the Department of Transportation to adopt rules covering permit issuance procedures, applicant qualifications, permit revocation procedures, and operational safety requirements.

Rerevised (04/30/2025) → Revised (04/29/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to remove the House sponsorship list and update the revision status from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' to reflect that amendments were adopted on second reading in the Second House. Substantive text was added to clarify permit issuance requirements, ensuring maximum convenience and safety for traffic, distributing permits among different persons, and allowing the department to charge fees to offset permit issuance costs.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on permit issuance procedures, but the requirements for permit distribution and fee structures were expanded with new operational guidelines.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements to ensure permits are distributed among different persons and no single person holds sole permits for a location when practicable.

FISCAL

Added authority for the department to charge fees to offset direct and indirect costs of issuing permits.

TECHNICAL

Removed the detailed House sponsorship list, indicating the bill moved to a revised version without further House amendments.

Updated revision status from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' to reflect the legislative stage and amendment adoption process.

Final Act (05/12/2025) → Rerevised (04/30/2025) · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized from a final act format to a revised legislative draft, incorporating amendments from both the House and Senate. The substantive policy content regarding winter traction device requirements and roadside chain service permits remains largely unchanged, though formatting and markup conventions were updated to reflect the legislative process.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; changes are primarily formatting and markup conventions reflecting legislative amendments.

TECHNICAL

Document structure changed from final act format to revised draft format with updated headers and session information

Added bill summary section explaining the permit system for roadside chain services

Updated legislative markup conventions to show House amendments with shading and Senate amendments with double underlining

Added page numbers and version tracking information to the revised draft

Removed final act certification language and signature blocks from the original version

Added committee assignments for both Senate and House versions

Reorganized sections to include bill summary and amendment history before the operative text

Signed Act (05/15/2025) → Final Act (05/12/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was finalized and signed into law, with minor formatting corrections and a note added to indicate its official status. The substantive content regarding winter traction device requirements for vehicles on Colorado highways remains unchanged from the signed version.

Scope change

No substantive scope change; the bill's applicability to motor vehicles on highways during winter conditions remains the same.

TECHNICAL

Added a note indicating the bill has been prepared for signatures and directing readers to consult legislative status sheets for official action.

Corrected formatting inconsistencies, including alignment of sponsor lists, section headers, and signature lines.

Fixed a typo in the statute text where 'any A motor vehicle' was corrected to 'any motor vehicle'.

Corrected a typo in the tire tread requirement section where 'adcquatc' was changed to 'adequate'.

Added blank signature lines for the Governor and legislative officers to facilitate final approval.

Reengrossed (04/21/2025) → Signed Act (05/15/2025) · 4 edits · May 15, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was amended to add new requirements for rental car companies to notify drivers about chain laws, clarify permit issuance rules to prevent monopolies, and define key terms used in the statute. The changes ensure more transparency for drivers and fairer permit distribution for roadside chain services.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include rental car companies and to add specific definitions for terms used in the chain law statute.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new section requiring rental car companies to notify lessees about chain law requirements and penalties during the rental period from September through May.

Modified permit requirements to include procedures for revoking permits and added a requirement that individuals installing chains wear reflective clothing and use appropriate traffic control devices.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified permit issuance rules to ensure multiple different persons can receive permits and no single person can be the sole permit holder at a specific location to prevent monopolies.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'alternate traction device' and 'department' to clarify terminology used throughout the statute.

Engrossed (04/17/2025) → Reengrossed (04/21/2025) · 3 edits · Apr 21, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional Senate sponsors and update the header information. The substantive content regarding permit requirements for tire chains has been removed from this version, likely because those provisions were moved to a different section or will be addressed in a subsequent amendment.

TECHNICAL

Header changed from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' with updated amendment language.

Added five new Senate sponsors: Amabile, Bridges, Cutter, Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Snyder, Wallace.

REQUIREMENT

Removed specific rule requirements regarding permit issuance procedures, applicant qualifications, permit revocation procedures, and a mandate for reflective clothing and traffic control devices when installing tire chains.

Introduced (01/22/2025) → Engrossed (04/17/2025) · 4 edits · Apr 21, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was amended to add a new section requiring the department to adopt rules for revoking permits, while also updating the statute number referenced for snow tire requirements and clarifying permit location restrictions for municipalities and interstate highways.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded by adding permit revocation procedures and clarifying where permits can be designated.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that the department must adopt rules for revoking permits, which was not present in the original version.

Updated the statute reference for snow tire requirements from 43-2-150 to 42-4-106 to align with the correct section governing snow tire laws.

Clarified that permits cannot designate locations within municipalities without municipal approval, except for designated chain stations or interstate highways.

DEFINITION

Added specific tire tread depth requirements (three sixteenths of an inch) for all-weather rated tires to ensure consistency with safety standards.

Tire Chain Traction Control Device Permit

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