H_PBH_2021A 05/25/2021 01:56:36 PM Committee Summary

Majority Leader Esgar, bill sponsor, introduced and spoke on SB21-018. The bill continues the Necessary Document Program in the Office of Health Equity in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment indefinitely. The program is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2021.

The bill sponsor answered questions from committee members.

Sheena Kadi, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. John Olander, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

Submitted written testimony can be found in Attachment A.

Majority Leader Esgar gave final comments on the bill.

Representative Tipper, bill sponsor, introduced and spoke on SB21-025. The bill directs the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), which administers the state’s Medicaid program, to seek federal approval to expand family planning services to individuals earning up to the state’s current limit for the Children’s Basic Health Plan, which is 260 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). The department must submit the request to the federal government by January 31, 2022. The expanded program must not impose age, sex, or gender identity limitations on eligibility, and must include a presumptive eligibility process. The family planning and family planning-related services that must be covered include the following:

• medically necessary evaluations or preventive services, such as tobacco utilization screening, counseling, testing, and cessation services;
• contraception, including a one-year supply unless requested otherwise;
• health care or counseling services focused on preventing, delaying, or planning for a pregnancy;
• sterilization services;
• cervical cancer screening and prevention;
• basic fertility services; and
• sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis and treatment.

The department must promulgate rules needed to implement the bill, including rules specifying covered services. In addition, the department must collaborate with the state insurance marketplace and interested stakeholders to encourage enrollment in all health insurance options for eligible individuals.

Representative Will, bill sponsor, gave opening comments on the bill.

Bill sponsors responded to questions from committee members.

Representative Tipper and Representative Will gave final comments on the bill.

Committee members made final comments.

Representative Gonzales-Gutierrez, bill sponsor, introduced and gave opening comments on SB21-027. The bill requires the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide diapering essentials (diapers, wipes, and diaper creams) to eligible individuals. The DHS, within 30 days of the bill taking effect, must solicit interest and cost distribution proposals from diaper distribution centers to administer the program. Diaper distribution centers must be operational within 60 days after entering into a contract with the DHS. The selection process is not subject to Colorado’s Procurement Code. The DHS is required to submit a preliminary report in FY 2021-22 and starting in FY 2022-23, the bill requires the DHS to submit a report on the program to the General Assembly as a part of its SMART Act hearing. Finally, the bill requires the General Assembly to appropriate $2.0 million from the General Fund to the DHS in FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 to fund the distribution centers. The DHS may use up to $150,000, or 7.5 percent of the money appropriated, for administrative costs. The program is repealed on July 1, 2024.

Representative Tipper, bill sponsor, gave opening comments on the bill.

Bill sponsors responded to questions from committee members.

Lindsey Zaback, WeeCycle, testified in support of the bill. Morgan Seibel, WeeCycle, testified in support of the bill. Daniel Mayer, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Jan Touslee, The Nappie Project-A Diaper Bank, testified in support of the bill. Benjamin Seaton, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. The panel responded to questions from committee members.

Kristen Seidel, Women's Lobby of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Matthew Server, Colorado Catholic Conference, testified in support of the bill.

Ian McMahon, Colorado Department of Human Services, answered questions from committee members.

Anna Crawford, Women's Lobby of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Submitted written testimony can be found in Attachment C.

Representative Gonzales-Gutierrez introduced amendment L.008 (Attachment D).

Committee members asked questions about the amendment.

Representative Tipper and Representative Gonzales-Gutierrez gave final comments on the bill.

Committee members gave final comments on the bill.

Representative Cutter, bill sponsor, introduced and spoke on SB21-154. The bill creates the 988 Crisis Hotline Enterprise (the enterprise) in the Department of Human Services (DHS). The enterprise will be governed by a board of directors appointed by the governor. The enterprise must:

• impose a 988 surcharge and a prepaid wireless 988 charge;
• fund the 988 crisis hotline;
• work with third parties to provide crisis outreach, stabilization, and acute care;
• authorize and issue revenue bonds payable from the newly created 988 Crisis Hotline Cash Fund; and
• adopt, amend, or repeal policies to regulate its affairs.

988 Crisis Hotline. By July 1, 2022, the enterprise must fund a nonprofit to provide intervention services and crisis care coordination for individuals calling 988. The nonprofit must:

• have an active agreement with the national 988 hotline;
• meet national suicide lifeline requirement guidelines;
• deploy mobile response units and co-responder programs; and
• coordinate access to walk-in centers; and provide follow up services.

The enterprise must also collaborate with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line for consistent public messaging. The enterprise must work with the state’s 988 planning committee to determine how the 988 crisis hotline will interact with the existing crisis hotline in the DHS. Beginning January 1, 2023, the DHS must report on the usage of the 988 crisis hotline and the services provided to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and information on expenditures from the cash fund to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Finally, the DHS will include reporting on the 988 Crisis Hotline Center in its SMART Act hearings.

988 Cash Fund and surcharges. The bill creates the 988 Crisis Hotline Cash Fund. The fund will contain money from a surcharge imposed on phone service users and a charge on prepaid wireless phones. The 988 phone service surcharge must be set by the enterprise in collaboration with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) by October 1, 2021, and calculated based on the cost of the services received by telephone service users. The surcharge takes effect January 1, 2022. In addition, the enterprise in collaboration with the PUC must set a Prepaid Wireless 988 Charge by October 1, 2021, on reach retail transaction for a prepaid wireless phone. The charge takes effect January 1, 2022, and cannot exceed $0.30 per transaction. The amount of the charge must be calculated to meet the needs of the enterprise. The enterprise and the PUC will update the fee annually.

Representative Soper, bill sponsor, gave opening comments on the bill.

Bill sponsors responded to questions from committee members.

Moe Keller, Mental Health Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Sheri Cole, Americans for Suicide Prevention, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Susan Marine, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Keller distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment E). The panel responded to questions from committee members.

Abe Laydon, Colorado Counties Inc., testified in support of the bill. Amanda Cain, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. Patrick Fucik, T-Mobile, testified in support of the bill.

Frank Cornelia, Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, testified in support of the bill. Elizabeth Owens, Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health, testified in support of the bill. Bev Marquez, Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners, testified in support of the bill. The panel responded to questions from committee members.

Submitted written testimony can be found in Attachment F.

Representative Cutter and Representative Soper gave final comments on the bill.

Committee members made final remarks on the bill.

Representative Young, bill sponsor, introduced and spoke on SB21-239. The bill requires the Colorado 2-1-1 Collaborative to provide referrals to behavioral health services and provide assistance to find other public resources for unemployed individuals. The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) within the Department of Human Services (DHS) must contract with the Colorado 2-1-1 Collaborative to ensure specialized personnel are hired that can assist in referring individuals to behavioral health services. The OBH must collaborate with the Colorado 2-1-1 to engage in targeted marketing and outreach to traditionally underserved communities. The OBH must report to the General Assembly on the impact of the communication system on behavioral health referrals by January 30, 2023. The bill appropriates $1.0 million to the DHS to provide these services.

In addition to the OBH, the Colorado 2-1-1 must collaborate with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to conduct outreach and marketing to unemployed individuals through an email and text campaign. CDLE must also update their web page to include the Colorado 2-1-1 phone number and links to its website.

These requirements repeal on July 1, 2022.

Representative Amabile, bill sponsor, gave opening comments on the bill.

The committee took a brief recess.

The committee reconvened.

Representative Amabile and Representative Young gave final comments on the bill.

Committee members made final comments on the bill.

Representative Duran, bill sponsor, introduced and gave opening comments on SB21-158. The bill modifies the Colorado Health Service Corps program in the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to include geriatric advanced practice providers. It allows geriatric advanced practice providers who meet certain criteria to participate in an education loan repayment program. In order to be eligible, a geriatric advanced practice provider must enter into a contract to provide such care for at least two years. In addition, they must have completed at least one of the following:

· a formal, postgraduate geriatrics training program;
· formal geriatrics training within an advanced practice provider training program and at least 12 months of postgraduate clinical experience, with an emphasis on providing geriatric care; or
· a geriatric track clinical experience during an advanced practice provider training program.

The bill also updates the definition of "state designated health professional shortage area" to include a shortage of geriatric advanced practice providers and increases the membership of the Colorado Health Service Corps Advisory Council from 15 to 16 with the addition of a physician who provides geriatric care or a geriatric advanced practice provider.

Jodi Waterhouse, CU Anschutz Multidisciplinary Center on Aging, testified in support of the bill. Steve Holloway, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, testified in a neutral position on the bill.

Richard Mauro, Denver Regional Council of Governments, testified in support of the bill.

Representative Titone and Representative Duran gave final comments on the bill.

Committee members made final comments on the bill.