A Colorado House of Representatives committee is hitting the pause button on a bill aimed to help people without a home.
The Colorado Right to Rest Act would allow homeless people to sleep and eat in public spaces without being ticketed. The bill was supposed to be heard the Local Government Committee on Wednesday, however, its sponsors asked for more time before that happens.
The bill's supporters say a little extra time could be exactly what they need to move the bill through the House committee and onto the floor.
"This gives us more time and hopefully better weather to be able to be there, to testify to bring your stories of what's happened to you on the streets," Denver Homeless Out Loud's Terese Howard said. "We are spreading the word on the streets, making sure folks know that this is coming forward and they have an opportunity to come and testify."
DHOL posted a "Testimony Prep" YouTube video on its Facebook page to help people wanting to join their efforts since it's an intimidating process that isn't something a person is taught to do every day in today's society, Howard said. Still, it's important for legislators to hear their messages.
"Most of them have no experience living on the streets and have no experience even spending time with folks who are homeless so they need to hear real stories," Howard said. "You know, they need to hear these stories of what's actually going on as an effect of the criminalization of our survival in public."
A new hearing date for the bill hasn't been scheduled yet.
Similar bills have failed to make it to the House floor the past few years but advocates are hopeful this year will be different.
9NEWS reached out to the bill's sponsors and opponents on Tuesday but didn't hear back at the time of this writing.
