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HB17-1282: Rural Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program
Signed by Governor on 6/5/17
This bill creates the state veterinary education loan repayment council, which consists of 5 directors appointed by the governor. The council administers the veterinary education loan repayment program by use of funds from the veterinary education loan repayment fund, with the program and fund created in the bill.
HB17-1264: PACE Ombudsman Program Add Local Ombudsmen
Signed by Governor on 6/5/17
HB 17-1264 adds local PACE ombudsmen (officials assigned to investigate individual complaints) to the state ombudsman’s office. It contains provisions relating to local PACE ombudsmen, includes time frames for the state PACE ombudsman to complete duties and functions of the office, as well as establishing statewide policies and procedures for investigating and resolving complaints relating to PACE programs and training local PACE ombudsmen, and repeals statutory provisions relating to stakeholder recommendations and a report concerning the expansion of the PACE ombudsman program to include local PACE ombudsmen. The existing all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) program includes the state PACE ombudsman.
HB17-1197: Exclude Marijuana from Farm Products Definition
Signed by Governor on 4/6/17
This bill excludes marijuana from the definition of ‘farm products’ under the act. The bill passed both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by the Governor. Under the ‘Farm Products Act,’ the commissioner of agriculture or his or her designee licenses farm product dealers, small-volume dealers, and their agents.placeholder for video
HB17-1179: Immunity for Emergency Rescue From Locked Vehicles
Signed by Governor on 4/13/17
This bill allows that having located a person or pet trapped in a car, a citizen can call law enforcement to gain permission to break into the vehicle to rescue the person or animal. Once rescued, the rescuer has to remain by the vehicle until law enforcement arrives. The bill passed both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by the Governor.
HB17-1115: Direct Primary Care Health Services
Signed by Governor on 4/24/17
This bill establishes parameters under which a direct primary care agreement may be implemented between a direct primary health care provider and a patient for the payment of a periodic fee and for a specific period of time. While the agreement does not constitute insurance, the services provided under this agreement by the provider allow the patient to receive basic medical care for a tenth of the cost of health insurance. Having passed the House with unanimous support, the bill passed in the Senate, also with unanimous support.
HB17-1010: Dental Practice Act and Dental Hygiene
Signed by Governor on 3/1/17
This bill is a clean up of the 2014 sunset bill on dental practices. It clarifies that the Colorado dental board may promulgate rules for the use of lasers and dental hygiene purposes within the defined scopes of practice and with appropriate supervision. Also, the bill clarifies what is considered the practice of unsupervised dental hygiene. The bill passed both the House and the Senate with unanimous support and was signed into law by the Governor.
SJR17-038: Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
Signed by Speaker of the House and Senate President on 4/27/17
This Senate Joint Resolution designates May 2017 as ‘Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.’
SJR17-030: Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
Signed by Speaker of the House and Senate President on 5/5/17
This Senate Joint Resolution designates August 2017 as ‘Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month.’
SB17-020: Fire and Police Pension Association Statewide Plan Election Approval Standard
Signed by Governor on 3/8/17
The Bill creates a uniform approval standard by requiring that any modifications be approved by 65% of the members employed by the employer who vote in the election for the statewide pension plan modification. It’s the right thing to do for our First Responders, and I am glad that the Governor signed it.
SB17-091: Allow Medicaid Home Health Services in Community
Signed by Governor on 6/5/17
SB 17-091 removes the location restriction for home health services to comply with changes to federal Medicaid rules that allow for services to be delivered in the community as well as the residence. The way the law is currently written, for some clients home health services under the Medicaid program may only be provided in the client’s residence. I’m glad that both the House & Senate agree that this is the right thing to do for our state’s Medicaid recipients.
SB17-146: Access To Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Signed by Governor on 4/6/17
SB 17-146 modifies provisions relating to licensed health professionals’ access to the electronic prescription drug monitoring program as follows:Allows a health care provider who has authority to prescribe controlled substances, or the provider’s designee, to query the program regarding a current patient, regardless of whether the provider is prescribing or considering prescribing a controlled substance to that patient. It specifies that a veterinarian who is authorized to prescribe controlled substances may access the program to inquire about a current patient or client if the veterinarian suspects that the client has committed drug abuse or mistreated an animal; and that a pharmacist or designee of the pharmacist may access the program regarding a current patient to whom the pharmacist is dispensing or considering dispensing a prescription drug (in addition to accessing the program when dispensing or considering dispensing a controlled substance).
SB17-187: Residency Exemption Marijuana Education-based Occupational Licens
Signed by Governor on 6/5/17
This bill gives the state licensing authority the ability to create an exemption to the residency requirement for a person applying for an occupational license for participation in a marijuana-based workforce development or education program if the person files an affirmation that he or she is participating in a program that requires access to licensed premises. Under current law, when an employee or manager of a retail business applies for an occupational license, the person must be a Colorado resident on the date of his or her application.
SB17-242: Modernize Behavioral Health Terminology in Colorado Revised Statutes
Signed by Governor on 5/25/17
This bill updates and modernizes terminology in the Colorado Revised Statutes related to behavioral health, mental health, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse. Based on specific contexts, the new terminology refers to behavioral health disorders, mental health disorders, alcohol use disorders, or substance use disorders.
SB17-249: Sunset Division Of Insurance
Signed by Governor on 6/1/17
This bill concerns the continuation of the division of insurance, and, in connection therewith, implementing the recommendations contained in the 2016 sunset report by the department of regulatory agencies.
SB17-268: Pharmacy Technician Supervision Ratio
Signed by Governor on 5/3/17
This bill allows a pharmacist to supervise up to 6 pharmacy technicians. Currently, a pharmacist may supervise no more than 3 pharmacy technicians.
SB17-278: Prohibit Nuisance Exhibition Motor Vehicle Exhaust
Signed by Governor on 6/5/17
This bill addresses the act of “coal-rolling,” knowingly blowing black smoke through one or more exhaust pipes attached to a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds or less in a manner that obstructs or obscures the view of another driver, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian. A person who violates the prohibition commits a class A traffic infraction, punishable by a fine of $100.
HB17-1368: End-of-life Death Certificate Signature
Lost in Committee on 5/4/17
This bill removes the current requirement of the ‘Colorado End-of-life Options Act’ requires an attending physician or hospice medical director to sign the death certificate of an individual who obtained and self-administered aid-in-dying medication.
HB17-1318: Division Of Insurance Annual Report Pharmaceutical Costs Data
Lost in Committee on 5/3/17
This bill requires health insurers to submit to the commissioner of insurance information regarding pharmaceuticals covered under individual and group health insurance plans in prior years by March 31, 2018, and each March 31 until 2020.
HB17-1102: Nuisance Emissions of Motor Vehicle Exhaust
Lost in Committee on 3/8/17
This bill prohibits engaging in a nuisance exhibition of motor vehicle exhaust, which is the act of knowingly blowing black smoke through one or more exhaust pipes attached to a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds or less in a manner that would harass another driver, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian and obstruct or obscure the view of another driver, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian. A person who violates the prohibition commits a Class A traffic infraction, punishable by a fine of $100.
SB17-098: Mobile Home Parks
Lost in Committee on 2/13/17
This bill promotes home ownership, protects property rights, and provides incentives to local governments to preserve and develop mobile home park communities.
SB17-151: Consumer Access To Health Care
Lost in Committee on 2/18/17
This bill would’ve required that a health insurance carrier or an intermediary that conducts credentialing, utilization management, or utilization review do several things: Base health care coverage authorizations and medical necessity determinations on evidence-based standards and clinical practice criteria; Disclose to a carrier’s policyholders and providers the evidence-based standards and criteria of clinical practice and processes that the carrier uses for coverage authorizations and medical necessity determinations of health care services; Ensure that coverage authorizations and medical necessity determinations are performed by health care providers; Categorize a condition as a new episode of care if the same provider has not treated the policyholder for the condition within the previous 30 days; and ensure that tiered prior authorization criteria are based on generally accepted and evidence-based standards and criteria of clinical practice.
The bill would’ve prohibited an intermediary from requiring coverage authorization or a medical necessity determination prior to the evaluation and management services provided by a health care provider to a policyholder during an initial health care visit, and a carrier from creating incentives to reduce or deny coverage authorizations or medical necessity determinations.