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, referred unamended to Appropriations

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 PettersenCheri JahnKevin Priola

Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services, referred unamended to Appropriations

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 SingerCheri JahnKen Lambert

Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services, referred amended to House Committee of the Whole

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 FenbergBob Gardner

Status: Passed House, introduced in Senate, assigned to Finance

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 BucknerSusan 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

Killed by House Committee on Local Government

We supported 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 HerodCole WistDominick MorenoBeth 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 JahnKevin Priola

Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services, referred amended to Appropriations

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 FenbergDon Coram

Status: Introduced, assigned to Public Health Care and Human Services, referred amended to Appropriations

We strongly 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, referred unamended to appropriations

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 the complainants.

Sponsor: Jovan Melton

Status: Passed House, introduced in Senate, assigned to Health & Human Services

We oppose 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 GinalLois Landgraf, Lois CourtDon 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: Passed House, Passed Senate with amendments, House concurred with Senate amendments and repassed

We support this measure

HB18-1245: Prohibit Conversion Therapy Mental Health Provider

Prohibits psychiatrists and other licensed, certified, or registered mental health providers from providing conversion therapy (therapy seeking to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender expression) to any person under 18 years of age. Anyone who engages in this would be subject to disciplinary action from their licensing board.

Sponsors: Paul Rosenthal, Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Stephen Fenberg, Lucia Guzman

Status: Introduced in House, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services

We support this measure

HB18-1260: Prescription Drug Price Transparency

  • Requires health insurers to submit information about prescription drugs they covered in the previous year to the Commissioner of Insurance
  • Requires prescription drug manufacturers to notify state purchasers, health insurers, and pharmacy benefit management firms when they increase the price of a drug by more than 10%
  • Commissioner will post information received from drug manufacturers on the division of insurance website for public access

Sponsors: Joann Ginal, Dominique Jackson, Dominick Moreno

Status: Introduced in House, assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment, referred amended to Appropriations

We support this measure

HB18-1279: Electronic Prescribing Controlled Substances

Requires podiatrists, dentists, physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and optometrists to prescribe controlled substances only via electronic prescribing to pharmacies. The burden falls on physicians – pharmacies do not need to refuse written, oral, or faxed prescriptions.

Sponsors: Daneya Esgar, Kevin Priola, Dominick Moreno

Status: Introduced in House, assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment

We support this measure

HB18-1284: Disclosure of Prescription Costs at Pharmacies

Prohibits insurance carriers from:

  • Penalizing or forbidding contracted pharmacies from providing patients with information about their cost share for prescription drugs and the clinical efficacy of more affordable equivalent drugs
  • Requiring pharmacies to charge a copayment that exceeds the total submitted charged by the pharmacy

Sponsors: Janet Buckner, James Wilson, Beth Martinez Humenik, John Kefalas

Status: Introduced in House, assigned to Health, Insurance, and Environment

We strongly 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, passed House, sent to Governor

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 AguilarJack TateBrittany Petterson, Chris Kennedy

Status: Passed Senate, introduced in House and assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment

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 TateCheri JahnJonathan 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 strongly 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 SmallwoodChris Kennedy

Status: Senate Committee on Appropriations referred unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

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-TharpLois Landgraf

Status: Passed Senate, introduced in House, assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services

We oppose this measure

SB18-168: Medication-Assisted Treatment Through Pharmacies

This bill would require that extended-release opioid antagonists like injectable naltrexone to be included as a pharmacy benefit under the medical assistance program.

Sponsors: Jack Tate

Status: Introduced, assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology

We support this measure

Mid-March 2018 Legislative Report

Kate Fitch

I've been with the Network since 2015, when I started as a volunteer. I've been on staff as the Communications Specialist since January 2017. I'm currently in college and pursuing a dual BA in Public Health and Public Administration. I'm most passionate about making sure that people with mental health conditions are fairly represented in the media, at policy tables, and in treatment system planning. In my spare time, I like to crochet, knit, and be the best cat mom ever.

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