An update to current legislation in the Colorado General Assembly
HB18-1001: FAMLI Family Medical Leave Insurance Program
Establishes a premium based on a percentage of annual wages for all Colorado employees, the funds from which are deposited into a fund from which paid family and medical leave benefits can be paid.
Sponsors: Faith Winter, Matt Gray, Kerry Donovan, Rhonda Fields
Status: Introduced, amended by Business Affairs and Labor, referred to Finance
We support this measure
HB18-1003: Opioid Misuse Prevention
- Establishes Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee composed of 5 senators and 5 representatives to study various issues related to SUD in Colorado
- Permits school-based healthcare centers to apply for grants to expand MH/SUD services
- Directs HCPF to award grants to organizations that operate SUD screening, brief intervention, and referrals
- Directs the Center for Research into Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery to create continuing education activities that help prescribers safely manage people with chronic pain
Sponsors: Brittany Pettersen, Cheri Jahn, Kevin Priola
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services
We support this measure
HB18-1007: Substance Use Disorder and Coverage
- Requires all individual and group health benefit plans to cover a 5-day supply of buprenorphine without prior authorization once per year
- Requires that health plans covering physical therapy, acupuncture, and/or chiropractic services have copays, deductibles, etc. that are equal to or less than primary care service fees for people with chronic pain and substance use disorder
- Permits pharmacists working in collaboration with physicians to administer injectable medication-assisted treatment for SUD
- Prohibits health plans from requiring patients to try opioid-containing medications for pain management before covering non-opioid prescriptions
- Requires the Colorado medical assistance program to reimburse intranasal naloxone without prior authorization
Sponsors: Chris Kennedy, Jonathan Singer, Cheri Jahn, Ken Lambert
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services
We support this measure
HB18-1017: Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact
Authorizes participation in the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact in which psychologists licensed in compact states are permitted to provide telepsychology services and temporary in-person client services (no more than 30 days/year) in other compact states. This would only go into effect when 7 total states enact legislation. We would be the 4th.
Sponsors: Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Stephen Fenberg, Bob Gardner
Status: Introduced, assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment, referred unamended to Finance, referred unamended to Appropriations
We support this measure
HB18-1065: Department of Human Services Employee Discipline Harm to Vulnerable Persons
Changes current law that states that DHS employees can be suspended or dismissed after criminal conviction of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment of a vulnerable person. New law would:
- Require the safety of the vulnerable person (not the interests of any other person) to be the primary consideration in disciplining an employee engaged in mistreatment
- Regardless of whether or not there is a criminal conviction, employees found to be engaged in mistreatment, abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable person will be presumed to have engaged in serious and flagrant willful misconduct or willful failure to perform his or her duties, making disciplinary action easier.
- Presumption of misconduct/failure to perform duties can only be rebutted in a state personnel board hearing if the employee presents clear and convincing evidence that he or she did not engage in mistreatment, abuse, exploitation, or neglect
Sponsors: Janet Buckner, Susan Beckman, Kent D. Lambert
Status: Introduced, assigned to Judiciary (witness testimony and/or committee discussion only)
We support this measure
HB18-1067: Right to Rest Act
Establishes basic rights for people experiencing homelessness, including:
- Right to use and move freely in public spaces
- Right to rest in public spaces
- Right to eat and accept food in public spaces where food is not generally allowed
- Right to occupy a legally parked vehicle
- Right to a reasonable expectation of privacy of one’s property
Sponsors: Joseph Salazar, Jovan Melton
Status: Introduced, assigned to Local Government
We support this measure
HB18-1094: Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act
Extends indefinitely the Child Mental Health Treatment Act and renames it the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act with some clarifications, definitions, reporting requirements, and assessment tools. It continues to protect parents/guardians seeking mental health services for their child from unwarranted child welfare involvement.
Sponsors: Leslie Herod, Cole Wist, Dominick Moreno, Beth Martinez Humenik
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services, referred amended to Appropriations
We support this measure
HB18-1136: Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Adds inpatient and residential substance use disorder services to the Colorado medical assistance program using money allocated from the marijuana tax cash fund.
Sponsors: Brittany Pettersen, Cheri Jahn, Kevin Priola
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services
We support this measure
HB18-1177: Youth Suicide Prevention
- Directs the Office of Suicide Prevention within CDPHE to develop a plan to provide access to training about youth suicide prevention to individuals like camp counselors, recreation center employees, youth group leaders, clergy, and parents
- Fund at least 3 nonprofit organizations to conduct free youth suicide prevention trainings for these populations
- Establish awareness campaign about youth suicide prevention
- Lower age of consent for outpatient psychotherapy from 15 to 12
Sponsors: Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Stephen Fenberg, Don Coram
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care and Human Services
We support this measure
HB18-1179: Prohibit Price Gouging on Prescription Drugs
- Prohibits and makes price gouging essential off-patent or generic drugs a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act
- Requires the state Board of Pharmacy and the Executive Director of HCPF to report suspected price gouging to the Attorney General
Sponsor: Joseph A. Salazar
Status: Introduced, assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment
We support this measure
HB18-1180: Mental Health Professional Dismissed Complaint Colorado Open Records Act Access
Allows a mental health professional that is a respondent to a dismissed complaint to the mental health professional regulatory board to access information about the complaint, including names of their clients.
Sponsor: Jovan Melton
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services
We are neutral on this measure
HB18-1182: Statewide System for Advance Directives
After collecting $750k in gifts, grants, and donations for the project, the state would create a statewide electronic system that allows medical professionals and individuals to upload and access advance directives.
Sponsors: Joann Ginal, Lois Landgraf, Lois Court, Don Coram
Status: Introduced, assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment
We support this measure, but would like to see more explicit mention of psychiatric advance directives included
HB18-1196: Applications for Aid to the Needy Disabled Program
Extends the list of persons authorized to perform an examination to verify the disability status of an applicant to the Aid to the Needy Disabled Program to include licensed or certified psychologists, licensed social workers, and licensed professional counselors.
Sponsors: Tony Exum, Nancy Todd
Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services
We support this measure
SB18-020: Registered Psychotherapists Auricular Acudetox
Expands permissions to perform auricular acudetox to include registered psychotherapists who have undergone the training. Currently it is restricted to licensed mental health professionals and level III Certified Addiction Counselors.
Sponsors: Leroy Garcia, Daneya Esgar
Status: Passed Senate, introduced to House and assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment
We support this measure
SB18-022: Clinical Practice for Opioid Prescribing
- Restricts the number of opioid pills prescribed to 7-day initial supply with one 7-day refill unless the patient has chronic pain, progressively worsening or reoccurring health condition requiring pain relief, or cancer, is experiencing post-surgical pain that is expected to last more than 14 days, is prescribed a drug with an added abuse deterrent, is in hospice or palliative care, or the opioid-containing drug is a component of medication-assisted treatment for SUD
- Clarifies that prescribers may submit electronic prescriptions
- Requires prescribers to check the prescription drug monitoring program before the first refill prescription
Sponsors: Irene Aguilar, Jack Tate, Brittany Petterson, Chris Kennedy
Status: Introduced, passed 1st reading with no amendments, 2nd reading laid over to 02/16
We support this measure
SB18-024: Expand Access Behavioral Health Care Providers
- Permits licensed mental health/SUD providers to participate in the Colorado Health Services Corps loan repayment program on the condition of committing to provide these services in health professional shortage areas for a specified period of time
- Directs the CHSC advisor council to prioritize loan repayment and scholarships for mental health/SUD providers in nonprofit, public employer, or underserved population focused private settings
- Establishes scholarship program for Certified Addiction Counselor programs
- Appropriates $2.5 million annually from marijuana tax cash fund for these purposes
Sponsors: Jack Tate, Cheri Jahn, Jonathan Singer
Status: Health & Human Services referred amended to Appropriations
We support this measure
SB18-040: Substance Use Disorder Harm Reduction
Killed by Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
We supported this measure
SB18-080: Wholesale Canadian Drug Importation Program
Killed by Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
We supported this measure
SB18-114: Preventing Suicide by Strengthening Life Skills in Students
Killed by Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
We supported this measure
SB18-132: State Waiver Catastrophic Health Plans
Permits Colorado to apply for a waiver to federal law restricting sales of catastrophic health plans. If passed and waiver is approved, individuals under the age of 30 would be able to purchase catastrophic health plans rather than a gold, silver, or bronze health plan on the exchange.
Sponsors: Jim Smallwood, Chris Kennedy
Status: Introduced, assigned to Health & Human Services
We oppose this measure
SB18-153: Behavioral Health Care Related to Suicide Ideation
Killed by Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
We supported this measure
SB18-161: Repeal Behavioral Health Transformation Council
Repeals the Behavioral Health Transformation Council.
Sponsors: Jim Smallwood, Tracy Kraft-Tharp, Lois Landgraf
Status: Introduced, assigned to Health & Human Services
We oppose this measure
