2024 Legislative and Policy Issues
To view the analyses, click on "More Info" below the bill number or issue. All documents are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat for viewing.
Analyses are based on bills or issues as they are at the date noted on the document. Policy issues may change during the course of a legislative session or year. For the current status of these and other bills introduced in the Colorado legislature, visit the website for the Colorado General Assembly.
View our 2024 Policy Agenda, highlighting our legislative priorities and the guiding principles set by the Health District's Board of Directors.
Questions about analyses? Contact the Health District at 970-224-5209.
| Bill or Issue | Summary | Position |
|---|---|---|
HB24-1002: Social Work Licensure Compact |
The bill establishes a "Social Work Licensure Compact" to streamline licensing for social workers across participating states, facilitating reciprocity, information exchange, and accountability. It also promotes telehealth for improved access to services. | Strong Support |
HB24-1003: Opiate Antagonists and Detection Products in Schools |
The bill expands existing laws allowing schools to maintain and distribute opiate antagonists by extending this policy to school buses. It also allows schools to adopt policies for non-laboratory synthetic opiate detection tests, providing immunity to school bus operators and employees administering these tests in good faith. Mandates schools to permit students to possess and administer opiate antagonists and detection tests. | Support |
HB24-1010: Insurance Coverage for Provider-Administered Drugs |
Prohibits carriers from restricting access to provider-administered drugs for individuals with certain medical conditions, including by limiting which pharmacies can dispense the drugs, excluding coverage based on pharmacy choice, or requiring providers to bill under the pharmacy benefit without consent. It also prevents carriers from imposing extra fees based on pharmacy choice or drug dispensing location. | Support |
HB24-1015: Workplace Suicide Prevention Education |
The bill mandates the creation of suicide prevention posters for workplaces, requiring employers to display them and include related notices for employees. It also establishes a website for workplace suicide prevention, accessible via QR codes on the posters. | Support |
HB24-1019: Crisis Resolution Team Program |
The bill creates the Crisis Resolution Team Program, offering intensive stabilization services for children and youth experiencing behavioral health crises. It includes counseling, case management, peer support, and medication management for up to six weeks, with plans for potential statewide expansion by 2025. | Support |
HB24-1028: Overdose Prevention CentersMore Info |
The bill allows municipalities to authorize the operation of overdose prevention centers within their boundaries to save lives at risk of preventable overdoses. | Support |
HB24-1035: Modernize Health Benefit Exchange Governance |
The bill amends reporting requirements for the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange, shifting to annual reports on open enrollment and financial plans submitted to specified legislative committees. Adjusts the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee's meeting frequency and removes appointees from the Legislative Audit Committee from its membership. | Support |
HB24-1037: Substance Use Disorder Harm Reduction |
The bill adjusts laws related to opioid and substance use disorders by excluding injuries involving drug possession from mandatory reporting, extending immunity for distributing opioid antagonists, adding exemptions to drug paraphernalia possession laws, expanding funding usage for drug testing equipment, allowing clean syringe exchange programs to provide drug testing services, and updating terminology regarding opioid antagonists. | Support |
HB24-1038: High-Acuity Crisis for Children & Youth |
The bill mandates the creation of a comprehensive system of care for children and youth with complex behavioral health needs, including standardized assessment tools, care coordination, supportive services, and expanded access to treatment foster care. It establishes a training academy for residential childcare staff, sets quality standards for providers, extends emergency resources for residential care, increases reimbursement rates, and initiates pilot programs for juvenile justice-involved youth. | Strong Support |
HB24-1040: Gender-Affirming Health Care Providers Study |
The bill mandates the Department of Public Health and Environment to conduct a gender-affirming health-care provider study, determining the number and resources of providers, threats they face, patient demand, types of services sought, prevalence of nonprescribed treatments, and insurance coverage availability. | Strong Support |
HB24-1045: Treatment for Substance Use DisordersMore Info |
The bill prohibits carriers from requiring prior authorization based on drug dosage for substance use disorder treatment. It also mandates equal reimbursement rates for pharmacists providing medication-assisted treatment, establishes a behavioral health diversion pilot program, expands medication-assisted treatment programs, and appropriates funds for substance abuse prevention and childcare access. | Support |
HB24-1075: Analysis of Universal Health Care Payment System |
The bill mandates the Colorado School of Public Health to analyze draft model legislation for a single-payer, nonprofit, publicly financed, privately delivered universal healthcare payment system. | Support |
HB24-1096: School Psychologist Licensure Interstate Compact |
The bill enables school psychologists to easily obtain and maintain licenses across member states, improving access to school psychological services through an interstate licensure compact. | Strong Support |
HB24-1136: Healthier Social Media Use by Youth |
The bill requires the Department of Education to create a resource bank for schools on the mental health impacts of social media use by children and teens. It expands student wellness programs to address problematic technology use and mandates social media platforms to display warnings to users under 18 who spend excessive time online, providing mental health resources. | Support |
HB24-1176: Behavioral Health Grant for Capital Project |
The bill expands the behavioral health-care continuum gap grant program to include awarding a community investment grant for a new capital construction project. | Strong Support |
HB24-1149: Prior Authorization Requirements Alternatives |
The bill requires carriers, utilization review organizations, and pharmacy benefit managers to simplify or modify prior authorization requirements for certain healthcare services and prescription drugs in consultation with providers, reducing administrative burdens. It prohibits denial of claims for additional or related procedures and extends prior authorization duration to a year. Carriers must publicly disclose prior authorization information on their websites. | Support |
HB24-1256: Sunset Senior Dental Advisory Committee |
The Senior Dental Advisory Committee created in the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2024. Pursuant to the recommendation in the Department of Regulatory Agencies' Sunset Review and Report, the bill continues the Senior Dental Advisory Committee indefinitely. | Support |
HB24-1306: Increase Penalty Possession of Synthetic Opiates |
The bill removes provisions allowing for reduced penalties based on reasonable mistakes of fact regarding possession of specific quantities of certain controlled substances, making possession of any amount of these substances a level 4 drug felony. | Oppose |
HB24-1322: Medicaid Coverage Housing & Nutrition |
The bill tasks the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing with conducting a feasibility study to explore obtaining federal authorization for Medicaid members' health-related social needs services, requiring a report to the joint budget committee by November 10, 2024. If budget neutral, the department must pursue federal authorization for these services by July 1, 2025. | Support |
HB24-1384: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics |
Mandates HCPF and the BHA to apply for the federal SAMHSA grant for certified community behavioral health clinic planning, development, and implementation. This grant is intended to provide support in implementing new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) that meet certification criteria. | Support |
HB24-1438: Implement Prescription Drug Affordability Programs |
This bill gives the Attorney General’s Office more authority to enforce the affordability programs, increases the fine for noncompliance, and sets aside money for education and awareness of the programs. | Support |
SB24-001: Continue Youth Mental Health Services Program |
The bill extends the "I Matter" temporary youth mental health services program indefinitely, removes the exemption from the state's procurement code for selecting a program vendor, and shifts reporting requirements from semi-annual to annual. | Strong Support |
SB24-007: Behavioral Health First Aid Training Program |
The bill creates the Behavioral Health First Aid Training Program to enhance mental health awareness, offering free training through a Colorado-based nonprofit to various organizations. It requires the Office of Suicide Prevention to establish application criteria, conduct evaluations, and report findings to the General Assembly annually. | Strong Support |
SB24-010: Dentists and Dental Hygienists Interstate Compact |
The bill establishes the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, enabling licensed professionals to practice across participating states. It creates a commission to manage the compact, oversee licensing, and resolve disputes, funded by assessments and fees. | Strong Support |
SB24-015: Licensed Professional Counselors in Communities |
The bill creates the Dual Licensure Stipend Program to boost licensed professional counselors by reimbursing supervisors for clinical supervision and covering exam fees for candidates. It mandates the Division of Professions and Occupations to contract with a Colorado organization to administer the program and report participation data. | Support |
SB24-034: Increase Access to School-Based Health Services |
The bill broadens the School-Based Health Center Grant Program to fund evidence-informed, school-linked health-care services, including telehealth and referrals. It also mandates the creation of a service-location identifier for claims related to services provided at school-based health centers. | Support |
SB24-040: State Funding for Senior Services |
The bill requires annual inflation adjustments to the general fund allocation for senior services by the General Assembly. Every three years, starting August 2024, the Department of Human Services and other agencies will review funding adequacy for senior services and report to the General Assembly. | Strong Support |
SB24-047: Prevention of Substance Use Disorders |
The bill introduces provisions such as exemptions for veterinarians from certain prescription drug monitoring program requirements, the creation of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention Gap Grant Program, implementation of statewide substance use screening and intervention practices, expansion of perinatal substance use data linkage projects, and authorization for a statewide opioid use disorder prevalence data linkage project conducted by the University of Colorado School of Medicine. | Strong Support |
SB24-048: Substance Use Disorders Recovery |
The bill establishes recovery-friendly workplace designations, allows pupil counting for students in recovery high schools, enables recovery community organizations to offer guidance, classifies recovery residences for zoning, and restricts alcohol display in certain stores. | Support |
SB24-055: Agricultural & Rural Behavioral Health Care |
The bill creates a liaison position to link the Behavioral Health Administration with the Department of Agriculture and rural communities, establishes a work group to improve behavioral health access for agricultural workers, initiates a grant program for addressing behavioral health issues in rural areas, and mandates annual reporting on progress and data collected. | Support |
SB24-057: Agricultural Workforce & Suicide Prevention |
The bill sets up the Agricultural Workforce Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Program to aid agricultural workers with mental health support and suicide prevention. It includes initiatives like a public awareness campaign, a crisis support hotline, mental wellness plans for workers affected by disasters, and coordination with state agencies. Biennial reports on program data and recommendations are required for legislative review. | Support |
SB24-059: Children's Behavioral Health Statewide System of CareMore Info |
The bill establishes a statewide system of care for children's behavioral health in Colorado, ensuring access to mental health support regardless of insurance or income. It creates an overseeing office, mandates an implementation plan, and establishes capacity-building and data teams to track progress and ensure quality care. | Strong Support |
SB24-063: Confidentiality of Group Peer Support Services |
The bill prohibits peer support team members or recipients of group peer support services from being examined as witnesses without their consent. It also defines terms related to peer support services and outlines exceptions to the prohibition. | Support |
SB24-080: Transparency in Health Care Coverage |
The bill mandates health insurance carriers to follow federal price transparency laws and provide an internet tool for real-time cost-sharing information. Carriers must also submit required pharmacy benefit and drug cost data to the insurance commissioner. | Support |
SB24-104: Career & Technical Education & Apprenticeships |
The bill mandates aligning high school career and technical education with registered apprenticeship programs in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, education, and healthcare. Priority for expanding aligned pathways is given to top jobs identified in the Colorado talent pipeline report, with a deadline of July 1, 2026. | Strong Support |
SB24-110: Medicaid Prior Authorization for Anti-Psychotics |
The bill prohibits the department of Health Care Policy and Financing from requiring prior authorization for an antipsychotic prescription drug used to treat a mental health disorder or mental health condition. | Support |
SB24-115: Mental Health Professional Practice Requirements |
The bill simplifies mental health professional requirements by removing the need for explanations of regulation levels and eliminating certain exams for licensing. It mandates passing the Colorado jurisprudence examination for candidate registrations and allows for registration renewal. | Support |
SB24-116: Discounted Care for Indigent PatientsMore Info |
This bill enhances the Hospital Discounted Care Program as well as allows for hospitals to be presumptive eligibility sites for Medicaid enrollment. The bill makes changes to the program, aiming for individuals to receive necessary care without facing excessive costs | Support |
SB24-141: Out-of-State Telehealth Providers |
The bill allows out-of-state healthcare providers to offer telehealth services to Colorado patients after registering with the relevant regulator, meeting eligibility criteria, and fulfilling notification and financial responsibility requirements. It prohibits in-person services without proper licensure and grants regulators authority to take disciplinary action if needed. | Support |
SB24-142: Oral Health Screening in School Pilot Program |
The bill sets requirements for a pilot oral health screening program, covering screener qualifications, screening procedures, tool selection, parental notification and refusal options, reporting to parents, confidentiality of health data, and data submission for program evaluation. | Support |
SB24-168: Remote Monitoring Services for Medicaid Members |
The bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to reimburse certain Medicaid members for telehealth remote monitoring starting July 1, 2025. It also establishes a grant program to assist outpatient healthcare facilities with telehealth remote monitoring costs. Additionally, the bill mandates coverage for continuous glucose monitors for members. | Support |
SB24-175: Improving Perinatal Health Outcomes |
The bill requires health benefit plans to include coverage for doula services aligned with standards set by Health First Colorado, with regulations by the Department of Public Health and Environment. This coverage starts on July 1, 2025, for large employer plans, with timing for small group and individual plans contingent on determinations by the Division of Insurance and the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. | Support |
SB24-181: Alcohol Impact & Recovery Enterprise |
The bill establishes the Colorado Alcohol Impact and Recovery Enterprise within the Department of Revenue, tasked with collecting fees from alcohol manufacturers and wholesalers for use in substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery programs statewide. It provides exemptions for small-scale alcohol producers and distributors based on federal tax criteria and creates an oversight board along with mandatory audits. | Support |