DENVER — Cities, towns and even counties will be able to enter into intergovernmental agreements with the two Indian tribes in Southwest Colorado for such things as jail space and new roads.

That is, if a bill sponsored by state Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, does as well in the rest of the Colorado Legislature as it did Wednesday before the House Local Government Committee.

That panel unanimously approved Larson’s House Bill 1045, which changes state laws to allow for such agreements with the state’s only Indian tribes, the Southern Ute and the Ute Mountain Ute tribes.

The bill will help local governments and reservations "accomplish mutually beneficial purposes," such as sharing jail space, snow removal and road construction and maintenance projects, Larson told the committee.

Under current law, cities, towns, counties and the state can, and often do, enter into intergovernmental agreements for a variety of reasons.

The bill now heads to the full House. If approved there, it will go to the Colorado Senate most likely its local government committee for a similar hearing.

In an unrelated matter, another of Larson’s measures — House Bill 1042 — won unanimous approval from the House Transportation and Energy Committee for an idea to stop recharging motorists each year for their Purple Heart license plates.

The state already does not charge those who have disabled veteran, prisoner of war and Medal of Honor license plates. Currently, there are 2,231 Purple Heart plates in the state.