Search Results

< Back April 16, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO KEEP COLORADO CHILDREN SAFE Colorado ranks last in kindergarten immunizations (Apr. 16) The House Health and Insurance committee approved Rep. Kyle Mullica’s bipartisan bill to address Colorado’s low vaccination rates. Higher vaccination rates decrease the risk of outbreaks of preventable contagious and deadly diseases. “This is about keeping Colorado’s kids safe. We need to be proactive, not reactive. We are in the midst of public health crisis and we can’t wait for a tragedy to occur,” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn. “Experts believe this option will help improve Colorado’s dismal and dangerous immunization rates. I thank everyone who came to the state capitol today to make their voices heard.” Rep. Mullica is a trained trauma nurse by profession. Here’s what HB19-1312 does: Creates a standardized exemption form and requires all exemptions be submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) or the local public health agency. Non-medical exemptions must be submitted in person to the CDPHE or local health agency; subsequent renewals can be submitted in person or online. Directs CDPHE to include immunization exemption information in its annual presentation to the General Assembly. Directs CDPHE to develop educational materials for health agencies and schools addressing the medical benefits of immunizations. Gives the Board of Health authority to determine school-required immunizations, based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This bipartisan bill strengthens Colorado’s vaccination exemption process by incorporating strategies known to increase vaccination rates without removing personal or religious exemptions. Colorado is seeing an increase in vaccine preventable diseases that are endangering public health. According to a recent report, Coloradans paid $55 million on childhood diseases that vaccinations could have prevented in 2017 alone. Medical experts testified in support of the commonsense legislation. Public health and medical experts have raised serious concerns about Colorado’s low vaccination ra te. Contagious disease outbreaks are happening around the country. Most recently in Washington state and New York state. According to the CDC, less than 89 percent of kindergarten-aged children in Colorado have received vaccines for diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. Colorado ranks last in country in this category. That’s below the national average of 94.3 percent and below the level considered ideal for reaching “herd immunity,” the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to avoid a big outbreak and protect those with compromised or vulnerable immune systems. Herd immunity is essential to protect the vulnerable including newborn babies, seniors and people living with ongoing medical issues. The Senate co-prime sponsors are Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson and Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. The bill passed by a vote of 7-4. It now heads to the House floor. Previous Next

< Back February 13, 2020 BILL TO ADDRESS RISING COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS PASSES COMMITTEE Democrats’ bill would reveal the financial relationships that drive up the cost of drugs and ensure rebates lower premiums for consumers DENVER, CO – The House Committee on Health and Insurance today passed Representatives Dominique Jackson and Dylan Roberts’ landmark legislation to increase transparency in prescription drug pricing. The bill would also ensure that manufacturer rebates are passed along to consumers in the form of lower insurance premiums. The vote was 7-3, with House GOP members standing with billion-dollar pharmaceutical corporations instead of Colorado consumers. “With multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical corporations making record profits, it’s time to finally hold these companies accountable for all the factors that are making prescription drugs unaffordable for far too many Coloradans,” said Rep. Jackson (D-Aurora). “Access to life-saving medication is a right. This bill will bring badly needed transparency to the complex and secretive deals between drug manufacturers, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers that are driving up the cost of drugs.” “It’s clear that pharmaceutical corporations and drug middlemen are using rebates to get their drugs to market and to drive consumers to high-cost drugs, but these rebates aren’t being passed along to save people money,” said Rep. Roberts (D-Avon). “Rebates are being traded back and forth between manufacturers, drug middlemen and insurance companies behind closed doors with no public accountability. This bill will give us the data we need to make sure that rebates actually do what they are intended to do; save Coloradans money on their prescription drugs.” Colorado’s Medicaid program has seen its expenditures on prescription drugs increase 73 percent in the last five years. Nearly 11 percent of Coloradans did not fill a prescription last year because of cost concerns. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that total US spending on prescription drugs will grow 60 percent from 2019-2027 to $576.7 billion. These increases are forcing Coloradans to pay more for both prescription drugs and health insurance. The ten largest American pharmaceutical corporations made nearly $69 billion in profits in 2018–some of the largest profit margins in corporate America. The Colorado Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act of 2020, HB20-1160 , would address two primary concerns. First, it would provide the state and policymakers with critical data needed to understand and address the factors that are driving up the cost of prescription drugs by shining a light on the the financial relationships between drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), insurance companies and consumers. Second, it would provide immediate relief to consumers by ensuring that the rebates insurance companies receive from drug manufacturers are passed along directly to reduce premiums across the board. Under the bill, health insurers will have to submit detailed information to the commissioner of insurance starting in 2021 about the top 50 most costly and most used prescription drugs in Colorado covered under their plans, any rebates they receive from drug manufacturers and how drug costs and rebates are accounted for in insurance premiums. Drug manufacturers will have to notify the commissioner when they increase the price of certain drugs, the specific reasons for the price change and if the price change was necessitated by a change or improvement to the drug. The drugs that would fall under this category are drugs with a price of more than $50 per course of therapy and for which the price has increased by 10 percent or more over the prior year. Previous Next

The House today unanimously passed legislation by a vote of 64-0 to reduce language barriers for special education learning plans. < Back April 14, 2023 Garcia, Young Bill to Improve Student Outcomes Clears House DENVER, CO - The House today unanimously passed legislation by a vote of 64-0 to reduce language barriers for special education learning plans. “Currently, drafts of an individualized learning plan for a special education student are not provided in any language but English, making it difficult for families that do not speak English in their home to understand the details of their child’s learning plan,” said Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Unincorporated Adams County. “Families want to be involved in this drafting process and have important insight to offer in crafting a learning plan that is catered to their child’s development. By passing this bill, schools will have the resources needed to provide this necessary service so families and teachers can create the best learning plan for the student.” “Parents and special education teachers need to collaborate to find the best learning plan that works for their children,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley . “Language barriers can stand in the way of meaningful discussions between families, teachers, and other school support team members, making it difficult to find a plan that best encourages educational improvement. Passing this legislation means that schools will have access to translation resources to reduce language barriers and enable teamwork.” Under current Colorado law, every public school student that qualifies for and receives special education services must have an individualized education program (IEP). The IEP is catered to each individual student and aims to improve their educational results and ability to learn in the classroom. HB23-1263 would require the IEP, the draft IEP, and any other related documents to be translated to the primary language spoken at the students’ home as necessary. Previous Next

Legislation puts ‘people over parking’ to lower the cost of building new homes, increase Colorado’s housing supply, and reduce harmful air pollution < Back February 15, 2024 Joint Release: Colorado Democrats Unveil Bill to Reduce the Cost of Housing Legislation puts ‘people over parking’ to lower the cost of building new homes, increase Colorado’s housing supply, and reduce harmful air pollution DENVER, CO - Colorado Democrats today introduced legislation to make housing in Colorado more affordable and reduce traffic congestion by eliminating parking mandates that drive up the cost of building new housing, especially multifamily developments. “Requiring more parking spots than the market demands drives up the cost of construction, makes housing more expensive in Colorado, and puts more and more distance between homes and destinations," said Rep. Stephanie Vigil, D-Colorado Springs. “We have quite literally paved paradise to put up a parking lot. With each new off-street parking spot adding potentially tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of a new building, the evidence is overwhelming that eliminating minimum parking mandates will allow for more diverse housing stock, free up space for more transportation choices, and improve air quality. It's time for us to put people over parking, and ensure Coloradans can live, work, and play affordably throughout our great state.” “Addressing Colorado’s housing crisis requires an all-of-the-above approach - and with parking mandates eating up more and more space and money, it’s long past time we act to eliminate them,” Senator Kevin Priola, D-Henderson, said. “Parking minimums stifle housing development and act as barriers to building the new housing we need to bring down prices and get folks housed. This bill will make it easier to increase Colorado’s housing supply, and encourage practices that will reduce emissions and help us reach our climate goals.” “The research is clear, the actions we’re taking will keep rents from rising, reduce the cost of building new apartments, homes and condos, and will save people money on housing,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver. “There are eight parking spaces for every vehicle on the road, and most municipalities require up to three parking spaces per unit, which can add millions to the cost of building new multifamily housing. This common sense reform empowers consumers to choose the housing options that work best for them instead of continuing to force higher costs on builders, renters and homeowners for parking spaces they don’t need or want.” “This year we’re taking a multifaceted approach to combating the housing crisis in Colorado, and removing parking mandates that drive up housing costs is a key part of our agenda,” said Senator Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo. “Studies have shown time and again that mandated parking minimums negatively impact health outcomes and the environment while slowing housing development and raising prices. I look forward to working on this commonsense solution that can improve affordability for the hardworking folks of Pueblo.” Beginning January 1, 2025, HB24-1304 would prohibit counties or municipalities from establishing or enforcing minimum parking requirements for residential or commercial properties within a metropolitan planning organization. Parking minimums increase home prices and rents by requiring developers to use valuable space for cars that may not be fully utilized and could instead be dedicated to more housing units. With new structured parking spaces costing $25,000 each in the Denver Metro in 2020, developers are disincentivized from building new residential projects or must reduce the number of units that are developed. Since the city of Minneapolis eliminated residential parking minimums in 2021, rents have only increased 1 percent , while Denver saw an average increase of nearly 5 percent in just the last two years. Research attributes the significant expansion of the housing supply in Minneapolis to the elimination of parking minimums. The oversupply of parking is also directly linked to higher vehicle miles traveled. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in Colorado, with cars contributing nearly 60 percent of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified Denver and the Northern Front Range as having unhealthy levels of ground level ozone, which can lead to negative health impacts like asthma and bronchitis, especially for vulnerable Coloradans. Additionally, replacing wildlife habitat to build massive surface lots for parking harms the environment by increasing soil and water pollution, flooding, and the heat island effect. The bill does not impact parking spaces required for people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Previous Next

< Back March 12, 2020 BUENTELLO BILL TO FACILITATE ENERGY EFFICIENT SCHOOLS ADVANCES Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Bri Buentello, D-Pueblo, to improve energy efficiency in schools today advanced out of the House Committee on Energy and Environment. “This has been a really productive session so far, and I’m proud that so many of my bills have advanced,” said Rep. Buentello, D-Pueblo. “I’ve focused on legislation to improve our schools and public education, assist rural law enforcement and support our veterans and service members. This legislation will help our schools become more energy efficient, potentially saving our schools resources they desperately need while also improving our environment.” SB20-124 , which is also sponsored by Representative Perry Will, R- New Castle, would require public school facility construction guidelines for the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program to include consultations with utility companies regarding the use of energy efficiency and beneficial electrification technologies. The objective of the bill is to facilitate new capital projects at public schools that reduce their energy use, saving local taxpayers money that can be used for other critical investments such as keeping local libraries open or fixing roads and bridges. The bill passed 9-1 out of the Energy and Environment Committee. Previous Next

The Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee today advanced bipartisan legislation to save small farmers and ranchers money and prevent out-of-state producers from falsely advertising products with Colorado branding. < Back October 29, 2025 JOINT RELEASE: Water & Ag Interim Committee Advances Bipartisan Bills to Boost Colorado Farmers and Ranchers DENVER, CO – The Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee today advanced bipartisan legislation to save small farmers and ranchers money and prevent out-of-state producers from falsely advertising products with Colorado branding. Bill 1 , sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, Senator Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, and Representative Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, would save Colorado farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. It would broaden the definition of "ranch" and “farm” in statute so that small and family-owned ranches and farms can benefit from existing property tax exemptions. “After over a year of work to get the language just right, I'm excited we're moving this bill forward to make sure our laws work for farmers and ranchers of all sizes,” said Roberts. “Small and family-owned operations are the heart of Colorado’s agricultural communities and too many of them struggle with high property tax costs. With this legislation, we are finding every opportunity to put money back in their pockets and keep their farming and ranching operations going.” “For generations, family farms and smaller ranches in my district have shaped Colorado’s ag economy, supported rural communities and fed Coloradans,” said McCluskie. “This bill cuts property taxes for local farmers and ranchers by including smaller operations that use their land for grazing in existing property tax exemptions. As the Trump Administration threatens to flood our markets with Argentinian beef and undercut Colorado ranchers, this bill steps in to save our farmers and ranchers money.” “Family farms and ranches are the backbone of Colorado’s rural economy,” said McCormick. “While the Trump Administration continues to choose trade wars over Colorado farmers and undercut our ranchers, we’re stepping up to put more money back in their pockets. This bill prioritizes local farmers and ranchers by cutting property taxes for smaller operations that use their land for grazing.” This bill would modify the definitions used to classify land as agricultural for property tax purposes. It would specify that a farm is primarily used to produce agricultural products, while a ranch is primarily used for grazing livestock through pasture-based operations. Agricultural land is generally valued lower than other property classifications. Bill 4 , sponsored by Representatives Matt Martinez, D-Monte Vista and Matt Soper, R-Delta, and Senators Roberts and Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, would protect the integrity of the “Colorado Proud” label and support local producers by cracking down on false advertising of products originating outside of Colorado. “When shoppers purchase Palisade peaches or San Luis Valley potatoes, they expect to receive products actually grown and produced in those regions of our state,” said Martinez. “To protect the integrity of Colorado-grown products and foods, this cracks down on mislabeling and false advertising of Colorado products. Colorado’s farmers, ranchers and small businesses work hard to produce the famous, high-quality products and foods that we’re known for around the world. This bill upholds the integrity of the iconic Colorado foods we all love.” “Colorado is known for its delicious produce, high-quality meat, and creative products made by our small businesses and artists,” said Roberts. “Consumers want to purchase made-in-Colorado products and should be able to trust the Colorado Proud label. This bill is about supporting Colorado farmers, ranchers, and businesses who make the real deal, right here at home.” Bill 4 would prohibit identifying an agricultural product as being produced in Colorado when selling, marketing, advertising, or distributing the product unless the product is grown in the state. It would also prohibit using the Colorado Proud designation or logo unless authorized by the Department of Agriculture. A violation of these prohibitions would constitute a deceptive trade practice. The committee also advanced House Joint Resolution 2 , sponsored by Representative Martinez and Senator Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, to recognize the importance of farmers’ markets to Colorado communities, small businesses, and agriculture and encourage the Colorado Department of Agriculture to continue to support and promote farmers’ markets. “Farmers’ markets are hubs of activity that create community and provide opportunities for Coloradans to support farmers, ranchers, and small businesses,” said Marchman. “I’m proud to sponsor this resolution to recognize the importance of farmers’ markets to our communities’ health, wellbeing, and economic prosperity and encourage the Colorado Department of Agriculture to continue to support them.” All three bills will now be considered by the Legislative Council. If approved, they will be introduced during the 2026 legislative session and advance through the regular legislative process. Previous Next

Bill to create three day waiting period advances < Back March 7, 2023 Legislation to Save Lives and Prevent Gun Violence Passes Committee Bill to create three day waiting period advances DENVER, CO - The House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee today passed legislation to save lives and reduce gun violence by creating a minimum three day waiting period to delay immediate access to a firearm. It passed by a vote of 7-4. “Waiting periods save lives by creating an opportunity to intervene or connect people who may be considering self harm or violence with care that can help them,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder . “I know from personal experience how a waiting period can prevent self harm. My son tried to purchase a firearm with the intent of committing suicide, and only our urgent action to try to stop the sale after I saw the transaction on his bank account saved his life. While no single bill will stop our epidemic of gun violence, common sense solutions like waiting periods, which are supported by data and evidence, will save lives.” “This legislation is one of many steps we’re taking this year to reduce gun violence in our communities and save lives,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “Waiting periods are effective, with research showing that these laws reduce firearm homicide rates by up to 17 percent. Improving public safety is a priority for Colorado Democrats, and addressing the public health crisis that is gun violence in our state will help Coloradans feel safer no matter where they are.” Research shows that creating a waiting period for purchasing a firearm has led to a 7 to 11 percent reduction in suicides by firearm and a 17 percent reduction in firearm-related homicides. In 2020, Colorado had the seventh highest suicide rate in the US, and in 2021, there were 740 suicides by firearm in Colorado, accounting for more than half of all suicides in the state. From 2014 to 2019 , the number of firearm deaths in Colorado was greater than deaths from motor vehicle crashes and opioid overdoses. Among firearm deaths, more than 75 percent were caused by intentional self-harm or suicide. Current law mandates that a background check is complete before a firearm can be transferred. Background checks can typically take less than three days to complete. HB23-1219 would require a gun purchaser to wait three days from the initiation of the background check or an approved background check, whichever is later, until they could be in possession of their newly purchased gun. Creating a waiting period delays immediate access to firearms and can help prevent impulsive acts of violence, including suicides, homicides and assaults. Transferring a firearm prior to the expiration of the waiting period would be a civil infraction punishable by a $500 fine for the first offense, and a $500 to $5,000 fine for a second or any subsequent offenses. The bill would not apply to antique firearms or to sales taking place between an active duty military servicemember, who is set to deploy overseas, and their family. Previous Next

< Back April 15, 2023 House Passes Bills to Boost Apprenticeships and Support Food Banks DENVER, CO – Legislation to boost Colorado’s workforce by helping graduating students access apprenticeship and increase funding for Colorado food banks today passed the House. “Connecting graduating students with apprenticeships in high-demand trade industries addresses Colorado’s workforce needs while saving students money in the process,” said Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial. “Our legislation makes it easier for Coloradans to search, apply and participate in apprenticeship programs that will lead to good-paying careers. This bill is good for everyone, especially aspiring professionals and critical industries in need of skilled, qualified workers.” “Apprenticeship programs can jumpstart a student’s career in something they’re passionate about,” said Rep. Sheila Lieder, D-Littleton. “This bill builds on our work to save graduating students money on training and on-the-job education while preparing for good paying careers in high-demand industries. From construction trades to firefighting, there are many industries searching for qualified workers and this bill helps fill workforce demand and boost Colorado’s economy.” HB23-1212 passed the House by a vote of 59 to 4. This bill would direct the Office of the Future of Work, the Colorado Department Education and other state agencies to collaborate with schools and trade industries to create apprenticeship pathways for graduating students. HB23-1212 would also require the creation of an online job board for students, task the state with incorporating trades apprenticeships in career planning tools, and develop standards for individual career and academic plans for students registered in the program to better support job preparation. Colorado’s trade and construction industries are still experiencing workforce shortages following economic disruptions from the pandemic. This bill would help create a talent pipeline for graduating students to enter good-paying careers after graduation and support Colorado’s workforce. HB23-1158, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representatives Jenny Willford and Rick Taggart, passed by a vote of 53-10 and would provide $6 million to help low income, older Coloradans access healthy food. “Colorado’s food banks have done incredible work supporting our communities, and with this bill, we’ll provide additional resources to help more Coloradans access nutritious food,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “I’m proud we passed this bipartisan bill to help deliver meals to nearly 15,000 older Coloradans living below the poverty line.” HB23-1158 supports older Coloradans by increasing access to nutritious food. This bill would provide grants to local food banks and food distribution programs so they can create and deliver food packages for low-income older adults below the poverty line. HB23-1158 would positively impact more than 14,000 low income older adults in Colorado. Previous Next

The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Rebekah Stewart that would combine two waiver programs to create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver, streamlining access to services for behavioral health conditions or life-long illnesses. HB25-1003 passed unanimously by a vote of 13-0. < Back January 28, 2025 Legislation to Streamline Access to Youth Behavioral, Complex Health Care Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Rebekah Stewart that would combine two waiver programs to create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver, streamlining access to services for behavioral health conditions or life-long illnesses. HB25-1003 passed unanimously by a vote of 13-0. “Colorado Democrats have championed programs that help families as they work to support their children with behavioral health conditions and life-long illnesses, and this legislation would help streamline the process to receive these services,” said Rep. Rebekah Stewart, D-Lakewood. “These waivers allow children to live at home while receiving care, and expand the critical services they have access to. This is something that all Colorado kids deserve. With our bipartisan legislation, we’re making health care and in-home support more accessible for Colorado youth and their families.” HB25-1003 , also sponsored by Rep. Max Brooks, R-Castle Rock, would create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver by merging the Children’s Home and Community-Based Services (CHCBS) and the Children with Life Limiting Illness (CLLI) waivers. This would help streamline waivers to better support Colorado’s youth with complex health needs. The CHCBS provides home and community-based services for families with children with significant medical needs so they can continue to live at home and prevent institutionalization. The CLLI provides in-home services and treatments for families with children with a complex health need, including respite care and pain management. Colorado Democrats have passed legislation in recent years to improve access to behavioral and mental health care, including creating the I Matter program to offer no-cost mental health services to students, training for first responders and community leaders to identify and respond to symptoms of mental illness or substance use disorders, and expanding mental health care coverage for Colorado youth. Previous Next

< Back February 12, 2020 CROWN ACT PASSES THE HOUSE Bill would ban hairstyle discrimination . DENVER, CO — Rep. Leslie Herod and Janet Buckner’s bill, HB20-1048 , known as the CROWN Act, today was approved by the House on third reading. The bill would explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture, hair type, and protect hairstyles like dreadlocs, twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, bantu knots, afros and headwraps. The bill was approved by the House by a vote of 42-21 and now moves onto the Senate for consideration. “Expressing your identity and culture through hairstyle is empowering, and Coloradans should never have to fear reprisal in the workplace for doing so,” said Rep. Herod (D-Denver). “Watching the powerful testimony of over one hundred community members last week confirmed what we already knew: hairstyle discrimination is far too common for black people and many other groups in Colorado. Today the House took a crucial step towards banning this racist practice once and for all.” “I’m proud that the House stood up against discrimination by supporting the CROWN Act today,” said Rep. Buckner (D-Denver) . ““It’s 2020 — we should leave absolutely no room for hairstyle discrimination in the workplace. I look forward to seeing the CROWN Act become law.” The C.R.O.W.N. Act stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” According to research from the Crown Coalition, a Black woman is 80% more likely to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work, and 50% more likely to be sent home or know of a black woman sent home from the workplace because of her hair. Last week, the CROWN Act was approved by the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee. Prior to that committee meeting, the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado held a community hearing to hear from supporters of the bill regarding their experiences with hairstyle discrimination. Over 100 supporters attended the hearing. If the bill is enacted, Colorado would be the fourth state to pass the CROWN Act, following California, New York and New Jersey. ### Previous Next

HB23-1228 allocates more than $62 million toward nursing facilities and updates Medicaid reimbursement rates < Back March 21, 2023 Bill to Support Nursing Facilities, Update Reimbursement Rates Passes Committee HB23-1228 allocates more than $62 million toward nursing facilities and updates Medicaid reimbursement rates DENVER, CO – The House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee today passed legislation to increase annual funding for nursing facilities and prioritize reimbursement for facilities that serve a higher rate of Medicaid patients. “We need to ensure Colorado’s nursing facilities are properly funded so they can provide world-class care to our grandparents, parents, and neighbors,” said Speaker McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Colorado has hit a breaking point–if nursing facilities don’t have the funding they need, they’ll be forced to close their doors and residents who need their care will be forced to find it elsewhere. This legislation boosts funding for nursing facilities so they have the resources they need to stay open and provide essential care to Coloradans. We’re working to help identify an innovative long term solution to nursing facility funding, so facilities are no longer reliant on additional federal and state funds to keep providing critical care to patients.” “Nursing facilities in Colorado play a vital role in caring for our loved ones, but they’re in desperate need of funding to continue meeting the needs of their residents,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “Our bill outlines stronger financial transparency to ensure nursing facilities and the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing are working in tandem to properly allocate funding. Streamlining this funding to nursing facilities ensures they’re able to keep the doors open, accept new residents and provide them all with critical care, treatment and services.” HB23-1228 , sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Jenny Willford, passed committee unanimously. This bill would make several changes to the Medicaid nursing facility reimbursement rates to ensure Colorado’s nursing facilities are getting the proper funding to care for high-need residents, accept new residents and maintain their operation. Specifically, this bill repeals the standard core per diem rate of 3-percent annually and increases it to 10-percent next fiscal year, 3-percent in fiscal year 2024-25, 1.5-percent in 2025-2026 and then a rate to be determined by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) in the following years. Targeted funding will supplement the needs of facilities that serve residents with severe mental health conditions, severe dementia and brain injuries. Increasing the core per diem rate combined with a new supplemental payment for facilities with disproportionately high Medicaid utilization, facilities that are geographically critical to ensuring access to care, and facilities that admit compassion release individuals will result in HCPF receiving more than $62 million this year to support Colorado’s nursing facilities. To ensure and increase financial transparency, nursing facilities will be required to submit audited financial statements to HCPF. Currently, Colorado’s nursing home facilities can report costs that have already been reimbursed by Medicare for Medicaid reimbursement, but due to complications from funding sources, nursing facilities are not currently being reimbursed for their full costs. HB23-1228 changes this Medicaid reimbursement structure by directing HCPF to undertake a three-year stakeholding process to create a more sustainable, flexible, and innovative reimbursement structure so nursing facilities are getting the full reimbursement they deserve. Previous Next

The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to improve safety and equity in the workplace by implementing critical anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies. < Back April 25, 2023 Bills to Combat Workplace Discrimination, Improve Crime Victim Notifications Pass Committee DENVER, CO – The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to improve safety and equity in the workplace by implementing critical anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies. SB23-172, sponsored by Rep. Mike Weissman and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon passed committee by a vote of 8 to 5. “Workplace discrimination and harassment must not be tolerated, and we need to modernize Colorado’s outdated laws to protect workers, hold harassers accountable and create safer workspaces,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, D-Aurora . “Power and protection need to be on the side of the worker – and the POWR Act improves accountability so the state can hold harassers in the workplace for their actions. Survivors’ voices and concerns need to be taken seriously, which is why I’m also proud to champion legislation to prioritize survivors of crime by improving notifications regarding release from parole." “Harassment and discrimination persist every day in Colorado workplaces, which is why modernizing our laws to protect workers is long overdue,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, D-Denver. “We need to do everything we can to make it possible for Coloradans to earn a living and pursue careers without being harassed. The POWR Act improves accountability measures and works to create safer, more equitable workspaces. This bill will hold bad actors accountable so workers can thrive in the workplace free from harassment and discrimination.” SB23-172 , the Protecting Opportunity & Workers’ Rights (POWR) Act, would update the definition of harassment and specify that harassment does not need to be “severe or pervasive” to constitute a discriminatory or unfair practice. The bill also deters future harassment by modernizing language around non-disclosure agreements, expanding protections for people with disabilities, and adding marital status as a protected class. Eliminating the excessive “severe or pervasive'' hostile work environment requirements and replacing them with clear standards for “harass” and “harassment” considers the totality of the circumstances, and will allow survivors of discrimination and harassment to better pursue justice. The POWR Act also removes the language in the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) that permits employers to discriminate against people with disabilities or refuse to accommodate them if “the disability has a significant impact on the job.” Additionally, the bill establishes an affirmative defense for an employer if the employer meets certain requirements, including establishing a harassment prevention program, taking prompt action in response to a complaint, and keeping records of any complaints. The House Judiciary Committee also passed SB23-193 , sponsored by Rep. Mike Weissman and Assistant Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, unanimously. SB23-193 aims to prioritize survivors by setting the offender’s release date for parole 15 days after providing notice to the victim. This bill would require the Department of Corrections (DOC) and any other state or local government agency, to provide survivor notifications in easy-to-understand language, using recommendations from victim advocates. If the victim chose to receive notifications, SB23-193 would work to improve communications between the DOC and survivors by giving them advanced notice of their offender’s parole release, in addition to their offender's discharge, transfer, escape, abscondence, unauthorized absence, or parole proceeding. Previous Next