HB 25-1027: Update Disease Control Statutes - Colorado

Revised (03/13/2025) → PA2 (03/06/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill's status was updated from 'Revised' to 'Preamended', indicating it is now an unofficial version with committee amendments not yet adopted. A new section was added to the State Board of Health's powers and duties, requiring a review and amendment of the department's internal emergency response and recovery plan every three years. This plan must address public health responses to bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and epidemics.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a mandatory triennial review of the state's emergency response and recovery plan for specific public health threats.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for the State Board of Health to review and amend the internal emergency response and recovery plan every three years.

DEFINITION

The new plan must specifically address public health responses to bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and epidemics.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's version status from 'Revised' to 'Preamended' to reflect that it includes unofficial committee amendments not yet adopted on second reading.

Rerevised (03/14/2025) → Revised (03/13/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised to update the versioning information and add new provisions regarding the termination of crisis standards of care. The revision clarifies that when crisis standards are no longer needed, the executive director or chief medical officer must vacate those standards. Additionally, a new requirement was added to the Colorado Revised Statutes to define the powers and duties of the state board of health.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by adding a specific procedural requirement for vacating crisis standards of care and incorporating new statutory language regarding the state board of health's powers and duties.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new provision requiring the executive director or chief medical officer to vacate crisis standards of care once they are no longer needed to respond to a public health emergency.

DEFINITION

Added new language to Colorado Revised Statutes 25-1-108 to expand the powers and duties of the state board of health and include new definitions.

TECHNICAL

Updated versioning information from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' and adjusted the description of amendments adopted in the second house.

PA1 (02/05/2025) → Rerevised (03/14/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill removes the requirement for the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC) to vacate crisis standards of care when the Executive Director or Chief Medical Officer determines they are no longer needed. It also adds a new duty for the State Board of Health to review and approve the internal emergency response and recovery plan submitted by the Department every three years, ensuring standardized preparedness protocols for future health emergencies.

Scope change

The bill shifts authority from the Governor's expert committee to the State Board of Health for approving emergency response plans, and modifies the process for ending crisis standards of care.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated the requirement that the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC) must vacate crisis standards of care when the Executive Director or Chief Medical Officer determines they are no longer needed.

Added a new duty for the State Board of Health to review and approve the internal emergency response and recovery plan submitted by the Department every three years.

DEFINITION

Defined 'Internal Emergency Response and Recovery Plan' as the portion of the State Emergency Operations Plan prepared by the Department that specifies operations for emergency epidemics.

Final Act (04/03/2025) → PA1 (02/05/2025) · 10 edits

MAJOR

This bill amends Colorado disease control statutes to replace the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC) with a new requirement for the state board of health to review emergency response plans every three years. It also modifies school immunization rules to allow physician assistant records for immunization certificates, extends compliance timelines, and updates hepatitis C screening standards. These changes aim to modernize emergency preparedness protocols and improve school immunization administration.

Scope change

The bill shifts emergency epidemic response authority from the Governor's committee to the state board of health and expands school immunization compliance options.

REQUIREMENT

Repealed the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC) and its associated statutes.

Changed crisis standards of care activation from requiring agreement between Governor and Executive Director to requiring agreement between Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer.

Required the state board of health to review and approve the department's emergency response and recovery plan every three years.

Replaced the 14-day compliance deadline for out-of-date immunizations with a board-established timeline of no shorter than 14 days.

Repealed the requirement for schools to notify public health agencies when students are suspended or expelled for noncompliance with immunization requirements.

Replaced the mandatory hepatitis C screening requirement for individuals born 1945-1965 with a requirement for the state board to adopt CDC-consistent screening standards.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for distributing annual school immunization rate letters from February 15 to April 15.

Extended the deadline for submitting annual healthcare-associated infections reports from July 15 to September 15.

ELIGIBILITY

Allowed physician assistant records to be used for creating student immunization certificates.

DEFINITION

Removed gendered pronouns and replaced them with gender-neutral language in school immunization provisions.

Signed Act (04/10/2025) → Final Act (04/03/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill modifies Colorado's disease control statutes to update definitions for the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC), clarify reporting requirements for emergency plans, and adjust crisis standards of care procedures. The changes primarily involve technical corrections to committee names and dates, along with minor formatting adjustments to the legislative text.

DEFINITION

Changed the acronym for the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee from 'GEEERE' to 'GEEERC' for consistency throughout the statute.

Deleted the definition of 'Committee' in section 24-33.5-703(2) as it was superseded by the updated GEEERC terminology.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the deadline for submitting emergency response plans from 'no later than July 1, 2011' to include the GEEERC as a required recipient alongside other officials.

Added requirement for departments to update emergency plans at least annually and submit reports to legislative committees by March 1 of each year.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting errors and removed extraneous text from the bill's header and explanatory notes.

Reengrossed (02/07/2025) → Signed Act (04/10/2025) · 5 edits · Apr 10, 2025

MODERATE

This bill modifies Colorado's disease control statutes by repealing the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC) and replacing it with a new internal emergency response plan within the Department of Public Health and Environment. The bill also creates a new Legislative Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Committee to coordinate with the department during emergencies, updates definitions related to emergency planning, and adjusts reporting requirements for continuity of operations plans.

Scope change

The bill shifts emergency response planning from an external advisory committee (GEEERC) to internal departmental planning, while adding a new legislative committee to coordinate emergency responses for the General Assembly.

DEFINITION

Repealed the Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC), which was an external advisory body for disease control emergencies.

Added new definitions for 'Internal Emergency Response and Recovery Plan' and 'State Emergency Operations Plan' to clarify planning requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Created a new Legislative Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Committee to develop and submit emergency response plans for the General Assembly and legislative agencies.

Changed crisis standards of care activation from requiring GEEERC involvement to being managed internally by the Executive Director or Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Public Health and Environment.

TIMELINE

Updated reporting deadlines and plan review cycles for emergency response plans, including requiring annual reports on continuity of operations plans.

Engrossed (02/06/2025) → Reengrossed (02/07/2025) · 3 edits · Mar 14, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed with minor administrative updates including expanded Senate co-sponsors and updated formatting notes. A significant substantive change removed definitions related to 'Internal Emergency Response and Recovery Plan' from the bioterrorism and pandemic influenza statutes, likely to streamline the emergency response framework or prepare for future amendments.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on bioterrorism and pandemic influenza preparedness, but the removal of specific plan definitions may affect how emergency operations are structured or referenced in future legislation.

DEFINITION

Removed definitions for 'Internal Emergency Response and Recovery Plan' from the bioterrorism and pandemic influenza statutes, potentially simplifying the emergency response framework.

TECHNICAL

Added multiple new Senate co-sponsors to the bill sponsorship list.

Updated bill summary notes to indicate a reengrossed version with third reading amendments.

Introduced (01/08/2025) → Engrossed (02/06/2025) · 3 edits · Mar 14, 2025

MINOR

The bill was amended to change the state board of health's duties regarding emergency preparedness planning. The requirement to review and approve the internal emergency response plan every three years was modified to include the authority to amend the plan as necessary. The definition of the plan was expanded to specifically address bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and epidemics caused by novel and highly fatal infectious agents.

Scope change

The scope of the emergency planning requirement was expanded to explicitly include specific types of health threats (bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and novel infectious agents) and added the authority to amend the plan periodically.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement from simply reviewing and approving the emergency plan every three years to reviewing, amending as necessary, and approving the plan every three years.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of the internal emergency response plan to explicitly address bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and epidemics caused by novel and highly fatal infectious agents.

TECHNICAL

Removed the repealed language regarding the governor's expert emergency epidemic response committee (GEEERC) which was part of the original bill text.

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