SB 25-186: Sunset Workers' Compensation Providers Accreditation Program - Colorado

Revised (05/01/2025) → PA1 (04/11/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill extends the sunset date for the workers' compensation health-care provider accreditation program from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036, and expands the definition of accredited providers to include any health-care professional regulated under Title 12 who provides treatment in the workers' compensation system, not just physicians, dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractors. The change allows more types of health-care providers to participate in the accreditation program while maintaining the two-tier system structure.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed by expanding eligibility to include additional health-care professionals regulated under Title 12, rather than limiting accreditation to specific licensed professions.

TIMELINE

The repeal date for the health-care provider accreditation program was extended from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036, delaying the program's expiration by over a decade.

ELIGIBILITY

The definition of accredited health-care providers was expanded to include any health-care professional regulated under Title 12 who provides treatment in the workers' compensation system, beyond the previously listed professions of physicians, dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractors.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement that a physician must be licensed under the Colorado Medical Practice Act to determine that no permanent medical impairment has resulted from an injury, broadening who can make these determinations.

FISCAL

Added $15,388 for operating expenses in the 2025-26 fiscal year appropriation for the division of workers' compensation.

Rerevised (05/02/2025) → Revised (05/01/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill's title page was updated to reflect its current legislative status, changing from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' and clarifying that amendments were adopted on second reading in the Second House. The list of House sponsors was slightly modified by removing a name from the original line, likely due to a correction or update in the official record. These are primarily administrative and formatting changes rather than substantive policy alterations.

TECHNICAL

Updated the revision status header from 'REREVISED' to 'REVISED' and refined the description of when amendments were adopted.

Removed the '3rd Reading Unamended' date stamp and related header information from the document layout.

Adjusted the House Sponsorship line by removing the name 'Clifford' from the list of co-sponsors.

PA2 (04/24/2025) → Rerevised (05/02/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was revised to reflect all amendments adopted by the Second House, replacing the previous version that included only committee amendments not yet adopted. A new sponsor, Clifford, was added to the House sponsorship list, and the bill's reading status was updated to show it passed the House in unamended form on May 2, 2025, with an amended second reading on May 1, 2025.

Scope change

No substantive policy changes to the bill's scope or applicability were identified; the changes are primarily procedural updates reflecting legislative progress and sponsorship additions.

TECHNICAL

Clifford was added as a new House co-sponsor alongside Hamrick and Lieder.

The document header was updated from 'PREAMENDED' to 'REREVISED' to indicate this version includes all amendments adopted in the Second House.

Reading status information was added showing the bill was amended on second reading on May 1, 2025, and passed the House unamended on May 2, 2025.

Final Act (05/15/2025) → PA2 (04/24/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill extends the sunset date for Colorado's workers' compensation health-care provider accreditation program from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036. It also broadens eligibility for Level I accreditation to include various health-care professionals regulated under Title 12, not just physicians. The appropriation amount remains at $123,933 for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a one-year continuation to an 11-year extension, and eligibility criteria were broadened to include dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractors for Level I accreditation.

TIMELINE

Extended the sunset date for the workers' compensation health-care provider accreditation program from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036.

ELIGIBILITY

Added Level I accreditation eligibility for dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractors in addition to physicians.

DEFINITION

Clarified that physicians licensed under the Colorado Medical Practice Act are the only ones eligible for Level II accreditation.

REQUIREMENT

Repealed previous statutory language that was set to expire in 2025 and replaced it with language extending to 2036.

TECHNICAL

Added new subsection (D.5) to explicitly authorize health-care professionals regulated under Title 12 to receive Level I accreditation.

Engrossed (04/15/2025) → Reengrossed (04/17/2025) · 4 edits · Apr 17, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was reengrossed to add four new co-sponsors, update the Senate amendment status, and modify the definition of 'physician' in the workers' compensation medical accreditation system to include optometrists. The effective dates for repealing the two-tier accreditation system were also adjusted from 2025 to 2036, extending the program's operation by over a decade.

Scope change

The bill now applies to optometrists in addition to physicians, podiatrists, and chiropractors for purposes of the workers' compensation medical accreditation system.

ELIGIBILITY

Added optometrists licensed under Article 275 of Title 12 to the list of healthcare professionals subject to the two-tier accreditation system.

TIMELINE

Changed the repeal effective date for the two-tier accreditation system from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036, extending the program by approximately 11 years.

SCOPE

Added four new co-sponsors to the Senate sponsorship list: Bridges, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Michaelson, Jenet, Sullivan, and Wallace.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill status from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' and added 'Amended 3rd Reading' notation dated April 17, 2025.

Introduced (02/28/2025) → Engrossed (04/15/2025) · 4 edits · Apr 17, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add an appropriation for implementation costs and to clarify the sunset timeline for the health-care provider accreditation program. The original version did not include funding provisions, while the engrossed version allocates $123,933 for the 2025-26 fiscal year to cover personnel and operating expenses. The sunset date for the program was extended from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036, with a repeal provision set for September 1, 2038.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include funding provisions and clarified the sunset timeline for the workers' compensation health-care provider accreditation program.

FISCAL

Added $123,933 appropriation for the 2025-26 fiscal year to fund 1.6 FTE personnel and operating expenses for the workers' compensation division.

TIMELINE

Extended the sunset date for the accreditation program from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2036, with repeal scheduled for September 1, 2038.

TECHNICAL

Added 'and making an appropriation' to the bill title to reflect the new funding provision.

REQUIREMENT

Added Section 3 to establish the appropriation and specify how funds may be used for personal services and operating expenses.

Sunset Workers' Compensation Providers Accreditation Program

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