The act permits community colleges to offer a bachelor of science degree in nursing to students who have or are pursuing a practical nursing certificate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the agency that regulates an occupation to dismiss an anonymous complaint that is lodged against the holder of an occupational license, certification, or registration if the complaint is based on words said or actions taken while engaged in official duties as: An elected official of Colorado or a political subdivision of Colorado; or A member of a board or commission of Colorado or a political subdivision of Colorado. If the same type of complaint is submitted, but not anonymously, the agency is authorized to dismiss the complaint. The subject of the complaint need not respond or provide evidence for the complaint to be dismissed. An exception is made for words said to or actions committed for a specific person when the license, certificate, or registration holder is speaking or acting as a member of the regulated occupation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, public money may be deposited in or invested with banks and savings and loan associations that are protected by the federal deposit insurance corporation. The bill permits the deposit or investment of public money with a credit union that is federally insured by the national credit union administration.Section 1 of the bill authorizes credit unions to make loans to public entities, and section 2 authorizes the state commissioner of financial services to assess each credit union for the cost of monitoring compliance with laws that protect public deposits.Section 4 renames the "Savings and Loan Association Public Deposit Protection Act" the "Credit Union and Savings and Loan Association Public Deposit Protection Act" (deposit protection act), and sections 5 through 13 add references to credit unions throughout the deposit protection act.Section 15 amends the law allowing public entities to use depositories that are federally insured to include credit unions.Sections 3, 14, and 16 through 24 make conforming amendments to statute to authorize public entities or officials to deposit money with federally insured credit unions and to reflect the renaming of the deposit protection act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act aligns the medicaid and children's basic health plan income eligibility requirements for pregnant women and children with federal law. Current law requires money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund (fund) to be used to expand eligibility for medicaid by increasing the income eligibility level for children and pregnant women under the children's basic health plan to up to 250% of the federal poverty line. The act increases the eligibility level to up to 260%. Under current law, if the money in the fund is insufficient to fully fund all the purposes of the fund, the medical services board (state board) may reduce the percentage of the federal poverty level. The act authorizes the state board to reduce the percentage of the federal poverty level to below 260%, but not below 250%. The act increases the medicaid income eligibility level for pregnant women from 185% of the federal poverty level to 195% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size. The act increases the income eligibility level under the children's basic health plan for children and pregnant women from 250% of the federal poverty level to 260% of the federal poverty level.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires the prescription drug monitoring program (program) to track all controlled substances prescribed in Colorado. The act requires the state board of pharmacy (board) to determine if the program should track all prescription drugs prescribed in this state. If the board determines that all drugs should be tracked, the act requires the board to promulgate rules to include all prescription drugs in the program. If the board determines that one or more drugs should not be tracked through the program, the act requires the board to publicly note the justification for the exclusions.$61,118 is appropriated from the prescription drug monitoring fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of professions and occupations to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands certain preventive health-care services to include counseling, prevention, and screening for a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The act adds contraception as a mandatory health benefit.Current law requires a health-care provider or facility to perform a diagnostic exam for an STI and subsequently treat the STI at the request of a minor patient. The act allows a health-care provider to administer, dispense, or prescribe preventive measures or medications where applicable. The consent of a parent is not a prerequisite for a minor to receive preventive care, but a health-care provider shall counsel the minor on the importance of bringing the minor's parent or legal guardian into the minor's confidence regarding the services.Current law requires the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing to authorize reimbursement for medical or diagnostic services provided by a certified family planning clinic. The act removes the requirement that services be provided by a certified family planning clinic and authorizes reimbursement for family planning services and family-planning-related services provided by any licensed health-care provider.The act appropriates $90,547 to the department of health care policy and financing and $13,353 and provides 0.2 FTE to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the health-care services reserve corps task force (task force) in the department of public health and environment. The purpose of the task force is to evaluate and make recommendations on the creation of a health-care services reserve corps program (program), in which medical professionals could cross-train to be able to serve the state in an emergency or disaster and receive a benefit for their service.The task force consists of at least 10 and no more than 11 members. The task force is required to consider and make findings and recommendations on issues including:The types of medical professionals who could participate in a health-care services reserve corps program, including how to ensure an appropriate cross section of providers; The types of emergencies and disasters for which the program could prepare and provide assistance, and whether the program could be deployed out of state; Any legal or regulatory obstacles to creating such a program; Liability protections for professionals and facilities participating in the program; Whether the program could be streamlined or integrated with existing programs or procedures; The types and hours of training that would be required; How to ensure the program and cross-training are accessible to rural medical professionals; The costs associated with the program; Issues related to insurance coverage and reimbursement; Consumer protections for patients being treated by the program; How the health-care services reserve corps would be deployed; and The type of benefit that could be offered and the amount, terms of, and funding for the benefit that participants would receive. The task force is required to consult with medical and nursing schools in making recommendations related to the cross-training elements of the program and with additional stakeholders as necessary to address additional questions, including disaster response experts, affected state agencies, and entities with experience in medical malpractice insurance. The task force is authorized to consult with additional stakeholders with expertise in identifying the physical and mental health needs of Coloradans or in coordinating emergency response at the local, state, or federal level to identify additional questions for future consideration by the program. The task force is authorized to contract with an outside consultant to assist the task force in completing its work.The task force is required to submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the house public health care and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee by December 1, 2023. The task force is required to meet at least once every 2 months. Task force members serve without compensation and are not eligible for reimbursement for expenses. The act is repealed effective September 1, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act continues the prescription drug monitoring program (program) indefinitely.Additionally, the act:Authorizes the state board of pharmacy (board) to promulgate rules that identify a list of prescription drugs that are not currently listed as controlled substances and require such drugs to be tracked through the program; Authorizes each coroner to authorize deputy coroners to access the program; Authorizes the board to create a data retention schedule for information obtained and stored by the program; Eliminates the requirements that the board seek gifts, grants, and donations in order to maintain the program and report annually to committees of reference of the general assembly on the gifts, grants, and donations; and Makes a technical change to remove a reference to the department of health care policy and financing from the statute as that department does not have access to the program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
