F9FAEE27335F5086872583E7008261D8 Hearing Summary

Senator Todd, bill sponsor, presented House Bill 19-1203.  The bill creates the School Nurse Grant Program in the Primary Care Office of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to award grants on a five-year cycle to local education providers (LEPs) to increase the number of school nurses. LEPs may use grant awards to hire school nurses; however, the grant may not supplant existing expenditures on school nurse positions or other student health care services.  LEPs must include specified information in grant applications and CDPHE must review grant applications and make recommendations to the State Board of Health (state board).  The state board may establish selection criteria in rule, in addition to those specified in the bill.  Subject to available appropriations, the state board must award up to $3.0 million annually in grants.  Each grant is awarded for an initial term of one year and must be renewed annually for four additional years, so long as the nurse remains employed in the grant-funded position.  Participating LEPs are required to provide specified information and CDPHE must submit a report to the General Assembly that, at a minimum, includes the information reported by the LEPs.

Kelly Grenham, Colorado Association of School Nurses, testified in support of the bill.

Haley Houtchens, Children's Hospital Colorado, testified in support of the bill.