A Colorado House panel approved a bill last week that puts the state one step closer to a lower drunken driving threshold.

The House Transportation and Energy Committee approved legislation Jan. 21 to lower the state’s blood-alcohol limit from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. The bill now heads to the House Appropriations Committee.

Passage of HB1021, sponsored by Rep. Bob Briggs, R-Westminster, would bring the state in compliance with a federal decree that states adopt the lower limit or lose federal highway dollars. Colorado is one of only four states (Delaware, Minnesota and West Virginia being the others) yet to conform to the federal mandate.

Colorado’s previous refusal to adhere to the standard cost the state $4.9 million in highway dollars when lawmakers ignored the Oct. 1 deadline, The Denver Post reported. Next year, the loss will be $9.9 million, with the penalty growing to nearly $20 million in the 2007 budget year.

States that adopt the new limit by Oct. 1, 2006, can recover the withheld funds.