Bill That Would Require Colorado Ski Resorts to Publish Annual Deaths and Injuries Report Voted Out

A proposed bill that was pushing for Colorado ski resorts to publicly release figures on the number of deaths and injuries that occurred within their boundaries was thrown out by committee last night.

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If passed, Bill “SB21-184” would have amended the “Ski Safety Act of 1979”, by:

• Requiring each ski area to adopt and publish, in printed form and on the ski area’s website, if any, a safety plan specifying the governance, management, and operational roles, responsibilities, and practices of the ski area to prevent accidents and reduce the frequency and severity of injuries
• Requiring ski areas with an elevation drop of 500 feet or more and at least one elevated lift to:
  • Collect and disseminate seasonal data on ski and snowboard accidents and deaths, including those occurring while boarding or exiting lifts;
  • Collect and make available, upon request, specific information about each accident, including where and when it occurred, the conditions at the time, the type of injuries and whether death occurred on site or following medical transport, and specified non-private information about the injured person.

Supporters of the Bill included families of persons who have been killed or injured at Colorado’s ski resorts, safety advocates, and physicians. Vociferous opponents of the Bill were the resorts themselves.

Danilda Polanco, whose 18-year-old nephew Etthan Mañon died skiing at Echo Mountain in December, told the Colorado Sun:

“We are here to try to prevent other families from going through the horror we had to experience as a family.”

Pat Campbell, the president of Vail Resorts’ 37-resort mountain division, told the Colorado Sun that asking ski resorts to publish mandatory safety reports “is not workable” and would create an “unnecessary burden, confusion and distraction.”

“Publishing safety plans will not inform skiers about our work or create a safer ski area.”

After hearing forty testimonies, both for and against, in the three-hour hearing, Colorado Senate’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted 4-1 against Bill SB21-184.