DENVER – A bill that would have decriminalized homelessness across the state of Colorado died in a House Committee Wednesday.
House Bill 1067, also known as the Colorado Right to Rest Act, was postponed indefinitely more than two months after it was first introduced in the House on Jan. 10.
The bill was killed on a 10-3 vote with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it.
The Colorado Right to Rest Act would have established basic rights for people experiencing homeless, including, but not limited to: giving the homeless the right to use and move freely in public spaces, the right to rest in public spaces, the right to eat or accept food in any public space where food is not prohibited, the right to occupy a legally parked vehicle and the right to have a reasonable expectation of privacy of one’s property, according to the language of the bill.
The bill, however, would not have made it mandatory for homeless service providers to provide shelter or services when “none are available.”
Democratic Reps. J. Melton and Joseph A. Salazar sponsored the bill.
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