Current law requires health insurance carriers (carriers) to provide preventive health insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screenings in accordance with U.S. preventive services task force guidelines. The bill requires carriers to instead provide coverage for colorectal cancer screenings in accordance with American Cancer Society guidelines. The coverage must include coverage for a colonoscopy or other medical test or procedure for colorectal cancer screening and a follow-up colonoscopy, if necessary, and coverage for high-risk individuals additionally provide coverage for persons 45 years of age and older. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
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Under the children's habilitation residential program, the bill authorizes the state board of medical services to adopt rules to implement changes proposed in a waiver amendment or renewal submitted to the federal department of health and human services so long as the rules are not effective until the effective date of the approval of the waiver amendment or renewal. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, a child is neglected or dependent if the child's environment is injurious to the child's welfare. The bill clarifies that the child's environment is injurious to the child's welfare because the child's parent has placed the child in or failed to remove the child from a situation that a reasonable person would realize requires judgment or actions beyond the child's level of maturity, physical condition, or mental ability and that results in bodily injury or a substantial risk of immediate and grave harm as a result of a blatant disregard of parent or caretaker responsibilities. A child is not neglected or dependent if a child who is of sufficient maturity, physical condition, and mental ability is left by the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, under conditions that are reasonably deemed safe and secure sufficient to avoid substantial risk of physical harm, to engage in independent activities specified in the bill. The bill amends the criminal code to reflect that a person does not commit child abuse if the person is exercising reasonable judgment in allowing a child to engage in independent activities as described in language added to the dependency or neglect statute in the bill. The bill amends the definition of neglect in the children's code to state that a child is not neglected when allowed to participate in independent activities specified in the bill that a reasonable and prudent parent would consider safe given the child's maturity, condition, and abilities. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law allows for the reinstatement of parental rights that were terminated if certain conditions are met and the child has not been adopted. The act expands that to allow for reinstatement of parental rights in cases where a parent voluntarily relinquished parental rights and the same conditions are met. The act clarifies the court procedures to be followed if a respondent parent with a pending dependency and neglect case seeks to voluntarily relinquish parental rights. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act enacts the "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2020", also known as the "CROWN Act of 2020", which specifies that, for purposes of anti-discrimination laws in the context of public education, employment practices, housing, public accommodations, and advertising, protections against discrimination on the basis of one's race include hair texture, hair type, or a protective hairstyle commonly or historically associated with race, such as braids, locs, twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, Afros, and headwraps. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill amends existing law relating to the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors to include permitting public schools to obtain a stock supply of inhalers containing albuterol (inhaler) that the school nurse or trained school personnel may administer to a student who the school nurse or trained personnel believe is experiencing respiratory distress. Persons administering an inhaler must complete training on administering an inhaler and on recognizing symptoms of respiratory distress. The state board of education, with assistance from the department of public health and environment, shall promulgate rules for the administration of inhalers to students, including education and training necessary for personnel administering inhalers. The inhalers may be obtained and used through standing orders and protocols issued by a licensed physician and other medical personnel with prescriptive authority. Schools may seek monetary donations to purchase inhalers and may enter into arrangements with manufacturers and suppliers to obtain inhalers at reduced prices or for free. If a school district acts consistent with the law and does not engage in willful or wanton conduct that causes damages, the school, school district, and school employees are immune from civil liability for any damages related to administering the inhaler to a student who was believed to be in respiratory distress. In addition, the bill amends existing law relating to the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors outside of school settings to include permitting authorized entities, such as recreation camps, amusement parks, and sports arenas, to obtain a stock supply of inhalers containing albuterol to administer to persons believed to be in respiratory distress. Persons administering the inhalers for authorized entities must complete training on administering an inhaler and on recognizing symptoms of respiratory distress. The inhalers may be obtained and used through standing orders and protocols issued by a licensed physician and other medical personnel with prescriptive authority. Authorized entities may seek monetary donations to purchase inhalers. If an authorized entity acts consistent with the law and does not engage in willful or wanton conduct that causes damages, the authorized entity and its employees are immune from criminal liability or civil suit for any damages related to administering the inhaler to a person who was believed to be in respiratory distress. A physician, school nurse, pharmacist, and other medical personnel acting in accordance with the law are not subject to discipline by a licensing board for either administering an inhaler in a school or for prescribing inhalers for a school or a designated entity. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill enacts the "Genetic Counselor Licensure Act". On and after June 1, 2020, a person cannot practice genetic counseling without being licensed by the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies. To be licensed, a person must have been certified by a national body, except that the director may issue a provisional license to a candidate for certification pursuant to requirements established by rule. The bill gives title protection to genetic counselors and standard licensing, rule-making, and disciplinary powers to the director. Genetic counselors must have insurance. The bill repeals the act on September 1, 2026, subject to sunset review. Genetic counselors are subject to the mandatory disclosures of the "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010". The bill makes conforming amendments to harmonize the bill with the title 12 recodification bill, House Bill 19-1172. The bill appropriates $33,622 to the department of regulatory agencies from the division of professions and occupations cash fund to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Dyslexia screening and interventions - working group - pilot program - appropriation. The act directs the commissioner of education (commissioner) to convene a working group to analyze state and national data and practices concerning identification and support of students with dyslexia and to recommend dyslexia screening tools and processes, a statewide plan for identifying and supporting students with dyslexia, and educator training in recognizing and providing interventions for students with dyslexia. The working group must submit a report of its recommendations to the commissioner, and the commissioner must submit the report to the state board of education and the education committees of the general assembly. The act directs the department of education (department) to establish a pilot program to assist school districts, boards of cooperative services, and charter schools (local education providers) in using READ act assessments to screen for dyslexia and in providing interventions for students who are identified as having dyslexia. At the completion of the pilot program, the department must evaluate the effectiveness of the screening and interventions, refine the resources used, and disseminate the resources used to all local education providers in the state. The department must also provide technical assistance in implementing the resources at the request of a local education provider. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $106,196 from the general fund to the department of education to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Procurement - source selection - disparity study. To ascertain whether disparities exist between the participation of historically underutilized businesses and other businesses in the state procurement system, the department of personnel is required to contract for a disparity study of the Colorado procurement process and to make recommendations to address any discrepancies identified by the study. The final report including the findings and recommendations from the study must be provided to the members of the general assembly and the executive director of the department of personnel (executive director) no later than December 1, 2020. The executive director is required to transmit a copy of the final report to the minority business office, which shall post the report on its official website. In addition, the executive director is required to include the findings and recommendations from the study in its report to the applicable house and senate committees of reference during its hearing pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act". Any entity that is subject to the disparity study is required to respond to a request for information in connection with the study as soon as possible after receiving the request. $650,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of personnel for use by the division of accounts and control. Any unexpended and unencumbered money from the appropriation remains available for expenditure by the department of personnel for the purposes of the disparity study in the next fiscal year without further appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More