First Regular Session | 73rd General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblyDuring the 2021 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to children and domestic matters, including foster care, child care, and child welfare.
During the 2021 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to public health, including behavioral health, suicide prevention, and public safety.
The following are the safety protocols for the First Regular Session of the 73rd General Assembly. These protocols are adopted after consultations with a bi-partisan group of legislators, non-partisan legislative staff, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the National...
This issue brief provides an overview of federal and state family, medical, and sick leave laws.
To date, Colorado and eight other states have enacted paid family and medical leave laws. The other states include California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. In addition, Hawaii has a paid medical leave law. This memorandum provides a...
Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who requires assistance to care for themselves. Care can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family member, volunteer...
Colorado's Adult Protective Services (APS) system, first established in 1983, protects at-risk adults who, because of mental or physical ability, are unable to obtain services or otherwise protect their own health, safety, and welfare. This issue brief provides an overview of the APS...
Vaccinations offer protection from common infectious diseases. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends specific vaccines for all infants, children, and adults during their lifetime to provide immunity from preventable illness. A recent analysis estimated that...
In the 2020 session, the Colorado General Assembly considered measures related to the regulation of health care facilities, behavioral health and substance use, prescription drug costs, and abortion.
In the 2020 session, the Colorado General Assembly considered measures related to health insurance benefits, reinsurance, the Colorado Option health plan, and Medicaid.
During the 2020 session, the General Assembly considered bills related to early childhood education; child welfare investigations; appropriating federal CARES Act funding; and other human services programs.
During the 2020 session, the General Assembly considered bills related to immunizations, food safety, chemical and consumer safety, substance use disorders, and paid sick leave.
This issue brief discusses recent federal guidance related to 1332 state innovation waivers, the required criteria that must be met for approval of a waiver, the components of federal law that can be waived, the application process for a waiver, the monitoring and review process for an...
This issue brief provides an overview of minors’ rights to deny others access to medical records under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Colorado state law. It also discusses state law pertaining to the ability of minors to consent to...
This memorandum provides an overview of temporary changes the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) implemented in response to the spread of COVID-19 and associated declaration of a disaster emergency by Governor Polis on March 11, 2020. The DOI in the Department of Regulatory Agencies regulates...
This memorandum provides an overview of how the spread of the coronavirus and associated disease (COVID-19) has prompted insurers, federal and state health organizations, and behavioral and mental health organizations to adopt policies that support and encourage the use of telehealth. ...
This memorandum provides information on Colorado's mandated health insurance benefits. Table 1, Colorado Health Insurance Mandates, provides a description of current state laws governing insurance benefits. The mandates are listed in the table alphabetically.
Please note that state laws...
The quality of child care and early childhood education (ECE) are key concerns for parents and policymakers alike. Whether daycare, preschool, or another setting, child care and ECE allow parents to remain in the workforce and improve the school readiness of children. This issue brief...
The Legislative Council Staff's Health Care Resource Book is intended to serve as a reference guide for information on some of Colorado's major health care issues and programs. The book is divided into two sections.
The first section covers health care spending; private health insurance...
This memorandum provides information about veterans community living centers (VCLCs), formerly known as state veterans nursing homes, in Colorado. Specifically, it includes the history of the five current VCLC locations and the process for building new VCLCs. The memorandum also discusses how...
This memorandum provides a brief overview of the human services delivery structure in Colorado, which is primarily state-supervised and county-delivered. This includes an overview of the offices, divisions, and boards within the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) and a brief...
Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Statewide Health Care Review Committee. The purpose of this committee is to study health care issues that affect Colorado residents throughout the state.
Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee. The purpose of this committee is to guide Colorado's health insurance exchange, including reviewing the financial and operational plans of the exchange and approving the appointment of the...
Final report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee. The purpose of this committee is to study issues relating to opioid and substance use disorders in Colorado and examine potential solutions concerning prevention, intervention,...
This memorandum memorializes the process for requesting and preparing Demographic Notes (notes) pursuant to Section 2-2-322.5, C.R.S. It outlines the number of notes per session, the process for requesting notes, the preparation and timing of notes, and the preparation of revised and final notes...