Soper

Williams

Directs HCPF to request any waivers necessary to expand eligibility under Medicaid to implement a Medicaid buy-in program for individuals with disabilities who would otherwise be eligible for supplemental security income except for their income.

 

 

 

Passed the House Appropriations-awaiting hearing by House Committee of the Whole.

 

 

Isgar

Riesberg

 

 

 

Passed the Senate–awaiting hearing in House Appropriations.  

 

 

Kerr, A.

Boyd

Concerning Addiction Counselors– Relocates regulations of addictions counselors to be with other mental health professionals, and reorganizes statutory provisions concerning the regulation of addiction counselors by the director of the division of registrations in the department of regulatory agencies (director) and retains the current regulatory scheme for addiction counselors. 

 

 

 

Sent to the Governor’s desk 4/2/08.

 

 

Windels

Concerning procedures to facilitate the provision of public benefits to offenders transitioning from the criminal justice system– Allows appropriate personnel to provide assistance to juveniles in commitment centers or other DHS facilities to apply for public benefits. Stipulates such help be offered 120 prior to release.

 

 

 

 

Passed the House-Passed out of Senate Judiciary—awaiting hearing in Senate Appropriations.

 

 

Benefield

Tupa

Concerning wellness education in public schools–Encourages school districts to expand their local wellness policies to adopt goals for several areas emphasizing healthy choices and lifestyles, including physical education, nutrition, and mental health counseling. Allows funding for a local student wellness program only if the school district has adopted an expanded local wellness policy.

 

Passed both chambers.

 

Romanoff

Keller

Concerning the creation of a pilot program to provide mental health services for children who have been involved in a substantiated case of child abuse or neglect–Creates the child welfare and mental health services pilot program in the department of human services for mental health screenings, evaluations, and treatment of children and their siblings.

 

House Health and Human Services sent amended to House Appropriations.

 

 

Boyd

Solano

Concerning suspension of Medicaid benefits for persons confined pursuant to a court order–Suspends Medicaid benefits for persons who are:

·         In the custody of the department of corrections or confined in a jail;

·         Committed to or detained in a juvenile commitment facility; or

·         Committed to or placed in a department of human services facility

 

 

 

Senate Appropriations sent amended to Senate Committee of the Whole 4/10/08.

 

 

Windels

Stafford

Encourages counties to establish relationships, partnerships, and prerelease agreements with entities involved in providing benefits to persons released from jail. Allows for the creation of a demonstration program to assist inmates transitioning out of the jail system.

 

Senate Appropriations passed amended to Senate Committee of the Whole 4/11/08.

 

 

Gardner, C.

Concerning early intervening services for students– Defines early intervening services as services for children in kindergarten through grade 12, with an emphasis on children in kindergarten through grade 3, who have not been identified as children with disabilities but who need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in a general education environment. Allows the use of no more than 15% of the funding it receives under the "Exceptional Children’s Educational Act" to provide early intervening services to students.

 

 

Passed both chambers.

 

 

Sandoval

Stafford

Concerning extending Medicaid eligibility for person who are in the foster care system immediate to emancipation–Allows a person younger than 21 years of age for whom the state made subsidized adoption payments but who did not meet certain federal requirements and who attained 18 years of age or otherwise became emancipated to continue to be eligible for Medicaid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passed the Senate—Awaiting hearing in House Appropriations.

 

Hagedorn

McGihon

Concerning improvements to health care for children– Expands CHP+ eligibility from 205% to 225% of the FPL. The bill will allow the FPL to be raised further to 250% if additional funds are appropriated. Also improves the Child Health Plan’s mental health benefits package so it is equivalent to the Medicaid mental health benefits for children.

 

Senate Appropriations passed amended to Senate Committee of the Whole 4/11/08.

 

Boyd

Merrifield

Concerning eligibility for public medical benefits– Subject to the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants, or donations to cover the costs, provides that the department of health care policy and financing shall adopt rules to:

 

Senate Appropriations passed amended to Senate Committee of the Whole 4/11/08. 

 

 

Frangas

Boyd

Concerning changes to the program for collaborative management of multi-agency services provided to children and families–Requires parties to a memorandum of understanding for the coordination of services for children and families to identify the amount of anticipated reinvestment savings realized as a result of the collaborative system of management of multi-agency services program. Authorizes the department of human services to contract for an external evaluation.

 

Passed the House—awaiting third reading in the Senate.

 

 

Solano

Boyd

Concerning juvenile justice procedures for juveniles who may benefit from mental health services–Requires the court, prosecution, defense, probation officer, guardian ad litem, parent, or legal guardian to report to the courts evidence of mental health needs in juvenile proceedings. Directs courts to order a mental health screening where needed.

 

 

Passed both chambers.

 

 

Riesberg

Concerning funding for the regulation of assisted living residences–Repeals a recurring 5-year report concerning underfunded mandates that the state board of health issues. Replaces the current fees with a fee set by the state board of health to cover the direct and indirect costs of regulating assisted living residences.

 

Passed the House-awaiting third reading in the Senate.

 

 

Balmer

Williams

Concerning an increase in the secretary of state’s authority over charitable solicitations–Specifies that a charitable organization, professional fund-raising consultant, or paid solicitor whose registration is suspended cannot solicit charitable contributions, provide its consulting services, or conduct a solicitation campaign in this state. Authorizes the secretary of state to investigate potential violations of and to set fines for actual violations of the charitable solicitation laws.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passed the House–awaiting hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

 

 

Todd

Williams

Concerning a program for providing additional therapies to persons with disabilities who are eligible to receive Medicaid–Establishes a pilot program to provide complementary or alternative therapies to an eligible person with a disability ("pilot program"). Defines eligible persons. Repeals the pilot program, effective July 1, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awaiting third reading in the House.

 

 

 

 

Frangas

Concerning legal protections for certain vulnerable populations–Prohibits placing a time limit on the guaranteed issue period for a Medicare supplement policy. Creates a workgroup to assess the feasibility of ensuring all Coloradans have mental health and substance abuse treatment and creates a program for developmental assessments for children under five.

 

 

 

 

Awaiting hearing on 2^nd reading in the House.

 

Stafford

Bacon

Concerning the domestic violence offender management board–Continues thedomestic violence offender management board until July 1, 2017. Allows the board to adopt and implement specific standards for the treatment of incarcerated offenders and for juvenile offenders.

 

 

Passed the House—awaiting hearing in Senate Judiciary.

 

Penry

Kefalas

Concerning the modification of definitions for the statewide managed care system under the “Colorado medical assistance act.”– Defines a "managed care entity" for the statewide system under the "Colorado Medical Assistance Act" to mean an entity that contracts to provide services in a managed care system.

 

 

 

Passed both Chambers.

 

 

Williams

Carroll, M.

Creates the Colorado advisory council for persons with disabilities ("council") in the department of human services. Outlines the council’s membership and duties. Creates the Colorado advisory council for persons with disabilities cash fund.

 

 

Awaiting hearing in the Senate on 2^nd reading.

 

Hagedorn

McGihon

Concerning the framework for developing the Centennial Care Choices Program to reform the health care system in Colorado– Authorizes the creation of the centennial care choices program to reduce the state’s uninsured population and improve access to affordable health care.

 

Awaiting hearing in Senate Appropriations.

 

 

Gagliardi

Hagedorn

Concerning the procedure for determining whether an advanced practice nurse will be granted participating provider status for a health benefit plan–Beginning in 2009, requires carriers that provide health benefit plans to use objective and reasonable criteria when evaluating an application for status as a participating provider submitted by an advanced practice nurse.

 

 

Signed by the governor on March 20, 2008

 

Roberts

Concerning signatures by advanced practice nurses on specified documents–Allows an advanced practice nurse to sign an affidavit, certification, or similar document that documents a patient’s current health status; authorizes continuing treatment, tests, services, or equipment; or gives directives for end-of-life care.

 

 

Signed by the Governor on March 20, 2008

 

 

Primavera

 

Isgar

Concerning capitated payments to Medicaid mental health care providers– Specifies that a managed care organization that provides community mental health services to recipients of Medicaid is not subject to the usual rate calculation requirements for Medicaid managed health care organizations, including the 100% fee-for-service upper payment limitation, but that a proposal from such a managed care organization must be actuarially sound.

 

Signed by the Governor on April 3, 2008.

 

 

Balmer

Veiga

Concerning the authority of a nonprofit corporation to take action by votes in writing rather than at a meeting in which decision-makers are physically present– States that, unless otherwise provided in the bylaws, the board of directors of a nonprofit corporation may take action upon written notice and the board members’ written vote or failure to respond.

 

 

CBHC actively supported this bill.

 

Signed by the Governor on March 13, 2008.

 

 

Gagliardi

Hagedorn

Concerning reimbursement for services provided by advanced practice nurses under the “Colorado medical assistance act.”– Authorizes payment to APNs for services provided under the “Colorado Medical Assistance Act”. Requires reimbursements to be made directly to APNs except when the services are provided within the scope of employment of a salaried employee of a public or private institution or a physician

 

 

 

Signed by the Governor on March 20, 2008

 

 

Roberts and Kefalas

Boyd

Concerning continuation of the authority of municipalities to contract with community health care providers–Sunset Process - House Health and Human Services Committee. Expands the authority of a municipality with a populationof 20,000 people or less to contract with any licensed health care providerto provide services for the municipality. Repeals the sunset of thecontracting authority of the municipalities.

 

 

 

Signed by the Governor on March 26, 2008.

 

Brophy

Lundburg

Concerning authorization of the use of telemedicine in providing mental health care services under the Medicaid program– Includes the use of telemedicine for mental health care services under Medicaid.

 

 

 

Signed by the Governor on March 19, 2008.  

 

Shaffer

Primavera

Concerning the creation of an autism commission– Creates an autism commission to study autism spectrum disorders, identify existing services and gaps, and identify best practices in providing services. Directs the autism commission to develop a 10-year strategic plan for Colorado.

 

Signed by the Governor on April 14, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carroll, M.

 

Concerning increased accountability requirements for special districts–States that a special district may provide services only within the territory of the special district. Makes additional requirement for the board of directors of a special district.

 

 

Killed in the Senate on 2^nd reading.

 

Frangas

Concerning an increase in the state sales and use tax on retail sales of alcohol beverages to provide funding for the CHP program–Refers to the voters a measure to authorize a 2% increase in thestate sales and use tax on alcohol beverages.

 

Postponed Indefinitely in House Finance Committee.

www.leg.state.co.us
This is the State of Colorado’s General Assembly Home Page

www.vote-smart.org
This link supplies specific information on the state legislators for each zip code

www.visi.com/juan/congress/
This link supplies specific information on all national legislators

www.cdhs.state.co.us/ohr/mhs/index.html
This is the Colorado Mental Health Services’ Web Page

www.cdhs.state.co.us/ohr/Health_Rehab.html
This is the link to the Office of Health and Rehabilitation Services’ Web Page

http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcs.htm
Colorado Legislative Council’s Home Page

www.mentalhealth.org/
Center for Mental Health Services

www.cdhs.state.co.us
Colorado Department of Human Services

www.chcpf.state.co.us
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing