May 7, 2026 · Health & Human Services · 12,845 words · 13 speakers · 220 segments
Services will come to order. First bill up is House Bill 1328, right after we call roll. Senators. Senators.
Baisley. Present.
Ball. Here.
Doherty. Here.
Exum. Excuse.
Rich. Here.
Cutter. Excuse.
Madam Chair, Judah. Yeah, here.
Jesus. You're right.
All right, our first bill up is House Bill 1328. Who would like to start? Senator Mullica.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Hello, Health Committee. You all look lovely today, especially you, Madam Chair. we are here to present House Bill 1328 it's a bill that I'm actually really excited about been focused heavily in this area during this session really on how to make sure HECPF is operating to the best of its ability that we're addressing fraud, waste and abuse and making sure that the dollars that we have going into HECPF are being utilized in the best way and most appropriate way in a way that benefits the most folks as possible.
What is NEMT?
NEMT is non-emergency medical transportation. It's a Medicaid-covered benefit that provides transportation and medically necessary appointments. It is essential for ensuring access to care, particularly for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and rural populations without reliable transportation. Effective NEMT services help reduce missed appointments, prevent avoidable emergency room visits, and improve overall health outcomes while helping control long-term health care costs. Commuting to and from doctor's appointments is a deeply personal experience that can sometimes occur during the most vulnerable moments of a person's life, and not everyone is capable of driving themselves to each appointment, and there are real-life consequences to folks not getting their rides in time. Colorado patients need access to services that are safe, reliable, and ensure providers in this space are held accountable through transparent practices. So why are we bringing this bill? This bill at a high level lays down framework for implementing a statewide broker, ensuring that provider groups across our state receive equitable support from the broker, holds providers accountable, and allows ethical businesses in the space an opportunity to grow while rooting out providers engaging inappropriately. NEMT services has continued to be at the forefront of conversations regarding waste, fraud, and abuse, and the need to address bad actors. This bill will ensure that NEMT providers will continue to be, one, held accountable to appropriate policies and practices, two, have the opportunity to build businesses that best serve our communities, three, continue to serve both urban and rural areas equitably, and lastly, most importantly, it will work to ensure patients feel safe and prioritized as users of this service, particularly as significant changes occur at the state level. So what are we trying to accomplish? We want to mitigate access to care challenges in rural Colorado where distances are longer, provider networks are more limited, transportation reliability is critical to maintaining care continuity. Support a phased-in broker implementation to ensure stability in regions as this transition takes place, including rural areas. Ensure network adequacy so rural members are not underserved or left without options. Promote flexible scheduling policies that accommodate both routine and time care needs Highlight the importance of maintaining continuity of care during transition and program structure and lastly, maintain patient choice in the new statewide broker model by maximizing patient preference whenever possible. With that, I will pass it off to my co-prime sponsor. Senator Kirkland.
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Committee. It's good to be here. With regard to this bill, we worked with a variety of stakeholders, including NEMT providers, both large, small, and rural and urban, Disability Law Colorado, Children's Hospitals, CHA, and groups providing EMS services, TNCs, and the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance. I think we all remember over the course of the last few months where there has been fraud found in the NEMT. Over the course of the last couple of years, it did go to court. We were able to claw back and get some of the funds back, but again, issues there. Then just recently, I think more recently as in like December or whatever, somewhere back then. I don't remember now exactly. Anyways, where the overpayments and the overbilling and not following our own guidance and not giving correct guidance out. So there's just been a lot of issues with this program, and hopefully this bill will help get it back on track and help get us back in track and be a massive overhaul of the way the NEMT service and the broker is managed by the health care policy and finance. We want to ensure that we're capturing all necessary components and really getting this policy right. At a high level, the bill will accomplish the following. It creates an advisory board that ensures representation across provider types, disability advocates, health care policy and finance, and consumers. The goal of the board is to act as an advisory board for the broker and to provide recommendations and then work with the department on a wide range of rules and regulations for these services. It instructs the broker and the health care policy finance with input from the board to create those rules and regulations. And I know we don't like rules and regulations, but there are rules and regulations now, and this will help clean them up to make sure that this program is run effectively and efficiently and that people have the non-emergent medical transport that they need when they need it. It creates guidelines for the brokers and what their responsibilities are. But lastly, probably extremely important, is it reclassifies the non-emergent medical transport services as a medical service rather than as an administrative service, which will increase our federal drawdown. And if you looked at the fiscal note, you'll see that essentially what is happening is we will be able to draw down federal funds. Yes, there will have to be a change to the state plan. We anticipate that to happen here within the next six months or so. and that by January 1 we will be able to replace general funds and cash funds with federal funds to the tune over the course of the next two years, 26-27 and 27-28, of about $64 million. That's a big deal, as you know, within this budget world that we live in right now, and it's also just a big deal that we are looking to capitalize and pull down as many federal dollars as we can. Ask for an aye vote on the bill. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Members, any questions for our sponsors? Okay, seeing none, we will move on to the witness phase. We have two people signed up as amend, and the rest are four. Do you want to start with amend? Yes. Okay, perfect. Online we have Jasmine Bowen and Amy Dixon in an amend position. Are they there? Sweet. Okay perfect Ms Bowen we will start with you We will be limiting testimony to two minutes today so if you could please state your name who you representing Your two minutes will begin now
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to testify today regarding HB 26-1328. My name is Jasmine Bowen, and I'm a Government Partnerships Manager at Uber Health, the division of Uber that's dedicated to NEMT and healthcare transportation. As currently drafted, the bill would exclude Uber Health from Colorado's NEMT program, so we're currently in the amend position. Our proposed amendments preserve the bill's intent while ensuring the state can leverage Uber's technology to solve Colorado's NEMT challenges. Uber Health operates in more than half of state Medicaid programs. Our drivers have a 92% on-time arrival rate, and our GPS tracking and detailed trip logs support Colorado's broader goals on fraud, waste, and abuse. Our amendments for the proposal focus on two pieces, mandated video recording requirements and the TNC as a last resort policy. On video recording, we currently support in-vehicle recording and currently provide it in-app with notice to riders and drivers. However, requiring video recording on every trip without opt-out raises significant privacy and technical concerns. Our approach strikes a balance between safety and Medicaid member privacy. For these reasons, we respectfully urge removal of the mandatory video recording requirement for TNCs. Second, on the provider of last resort policy. Our NEMT broker partners have reported that this policy often delays care when initial provider network attempts fail. We recommend that a last resort policy, if implemented, be set by the Medicaid agency rather than fixed in statute, allowing state Medicaid to evaluate the impact of the policy, gauge stakeholder feedback, and adjust based on real world impact. In closing, we support expanding access to care, but urge reconsideration of the bill as written so it doesn't limit an option that can help Medicaid members. Thank you for your time. Happy to take any questions you have.
Thank you so much. Next we'll go to Ms. Dickinson. Your two minutes can begin if you set your name and who you're representing. Go ahead.
Great. Thank you so much, Madam Chair and the members of the committee. And I want to thank you for your work on behalf of Colorado residents and for your time and attention that you've given to transportation access to Medicaid members across the state. My name is Amy Dixon. I am the Policy and Benefits Delivery System Division Director with the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing. I oversee the team responsible for implementation of the statewide Non-Emergent Medical Transportation, or NEMT, broker program. With the amendment providing reciprocity for Transportation Network Company Public Utilities Commission licensing for use as a provider of last resort, HICPF is supportive of House Bill 26-1328. This bill reflects months of collaboration among the sponsors, transportation providers, and the department. While there have been strong perspectives throughout the process, I believe we all share the same goals around member safety, fiscal responsibility, and a sustainable provider network that can reliably serve Medicaid members across Colorado. Over the past 18 months the department has focused on strengthening accountability within the NEMT program including addressing concerns related to fraud inappropriate billing service oversight and member safety At the same time we recognize the importance of maintaining provider participation and ensuring members have access to transportation when they need it. The transition to the statewide broker model on July 1st is an important part of that work And the framework in this bill, including credentialing standards, audit authority, and documentation requirements, helps support a more accountable, consistent, and accessible NEMT program moving forward. In closing, we appreciate the partnership and engagement from the sponsors and provider community throughout the process. HICPF supports House Bill 26-1328 as amended and respectfully requests your yes vote. Thank you.
Thank you. members' questions for this panel. Okay, seeing none, thank you so much for your time. Next we're going to move to the folks in person that are in favor. I'm going to ask Amanda and Tyler from MedRide to come on up, and Jumbo from Family Medical Transport. Okay, let's start with Tyler. if you could please state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Tyler Borzileri, VP of MedRide. As the VP of MedRide, Colorado's largest non-emergent medical transportation provider for nine years, we have supported those who need health care and Medicaid members by ensuring they never miss an essential care. NEMT is not a convenience. It's a lifeline. When a patient misses a dialysis or chemotherapy appointment due to lack of transportation, the impact both clinically and financially is devastating. Reliable transportation and access to care reduces avoidable hospitalizations and lowers overall Medicaid costs. While we support the efforts to strengthen oversight, experience shows that structural changes alone do not resolve operational challenges. With strong implementation and consistent enforcement, new systems risk adding complexity rather than improving access. This legislation and bill starts to move the industry in the right direction. that establishes clear expectations and strengthens accountability. Importantly, it reinforces the distinction between compliant, high-performing providers and those who do not meet program standards. Strong credentialing and performance-based accountability are essential to protecting both our members and our taxpayer dollars. We support this bill and the amendments advanced by the sponsors. These provisions strengthen safeguard against us or against fraud, waste, and abuse, while ensuring the program remains focused on its core purpose, getting patients to care safely and having the access to care they need. On behalf of every patient who depends on us for life-sustaining care, we urge your support. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you. Amanda, do you want to go and state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Good afternoon. My name is Amanda Schoeniger. I am compliance with MedRide. In my role, I focus on ensuring our operations meet regulatory requirements, requirements and that we maintain strong inner controls that support accountability, transparency, and program integrity. I bring experience from both the provider side and a prior role with the state agency, which has reinforced for me how essential clear rules, consistent enforcement, and strong oversight are to success of public programs. Non-emergency medical transportation is a critical part of Medicaid. When programs don't have reliable, when members don't have reliable transportation, they face real barriers and access to care. At the same time, programs of this scale require strong safeguards. Fraud, waste, and abuse are real risks, and without effective oversight, those risks can undermine trust and divert resources away from the members who depend on these services. This bill strengthens the program by improving documentation standards, audibility, and transparency. Clear requirements around trip records, verification, and reporting help ensure that services are accurately reflected and that providers operate within well-defined expectations. Just as importantly, strong compliance supports ethical providers. When expectations are clear and consistently enforced, providers can focus on delivering quality services rather than navigating uncertainty. Consistent oversight also creates a level playing field and reduces opportunities for bad actors. A statewide broker model can improve coordination and consistency when it's built on a strong compliance requirement and ongoing oversight. MedRide supports this bill and sponsored amendments as a meaningful step toward more accountable and sustainable NEMT program. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Jombo, you want to take it away?
Sure. Good to see you, friend.
Good to see you, too.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Jombo LeHannes, and I am a dedicated small business owner and strong advocate for the Colorado Small Business Community. I am the founder of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and have operated a medical transportation business for the last 13 years. Alongside 20 years of experience of a car dealership owner, I respectfully have strong support of the HPE 261328. Two years ago, I raised the urgent concern with the governor's office regarding the fragile attackers within the non-emergency medical transportation system. I witnessed the first time how dishonest operators were abusing the system, damaging the reputation of illegitimate providers. and wasting a million of taxpayer dollars as a veteran in this industry, I believe strongly in transparent ethical and accountable service. The concerns I raised have proven a serious and costly. The fraudulent billing practice contributed to more than $25 million in abnormal billing activity. Driving the total system costs over $300 million by 2024. This abuse undermines a public trust and creates unfair disadvantage for honest providers who work hard to service patients with integrity. HB 2638 is an important and necessary step towards restoring accountability with the NMT system. I strongly support this bill, provisioning and increasing the audits and oversight of the broker and provider to ensure that the only legitimate services are reimbursed, greater transparency and enforcement are essentially to protect the medical benefit and the taxpayer and ethical benefits. Thank you so much.
Members, other questions for this panel? Okay seeing none thank you so much for your time Next we will go online Gary Smith Renee with MetaRide Amy Parks and Kelsey Bell. While we bring them up, I believe Mr. Smith, did you want to go ahead start. If you could unmute, state your name, who you're with. Your two minutes will begin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Gary Smith. I'm the Chief Mission Officer at Goodwill of Colorado. Our mission is to help people overcome barriers to independence, and the non-emergent medical transportation does provide that improved independence for so many Coloradans that lack other transportation. Last year, through our NEMT program, Good Wheels, we served over 3,600 Medicaid members in El Paso County. Good Wheels strongly advocates for passage of this bill. The bill will lead to improved communication through a feedback loop among the boots-on-the-ground providers, the statewide broker, and the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing. The bill protects HICPF's efforts to root out fraud, and we certainly advocate for those and support those efforts. It also provides for clear and standardized processes and a pathway for providers to voice support or concerns about those processes and any proposed changes. The bottom line, the bill recognizes and protects HICPF's authority and ability to lead and manage an efficient NEMT program while providing open communication among all stakeholders. Thank you.
Thank you. Next, we'll go to Renee. Are you on? Okay, Amy Parks. Renee is on. She's not. Renee, there you go.
Yeah.
Sorry about that. That's okay. If you could state your name, who you're with, then your two minutes will begin.
Of course. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to present to you today. My name is Renee Arcos. I represent MedRide. I'm here today to support this bill because as a non-emergency medical transportation driver, I seriously take the privilege and responsibility I have of ensuring the safe and comfortable and reliable transportation of Medicaid members to their medical appointments. In my role, I meet people every day who are facing extremely challenging and trying circumstances, the visually impaired, delicate children in wheelchairs, dialysis patients who finish their treatments weak, nauseous, dizzy, fragile clients with dementia, and so many more. These are real human beings who need to feel and know that their drivers are well-vetted, well-trained, and will be on time, and that the clients will be taken to their medical appointments safely. When processes, standards, policies, and expectations are well-defined and clear, drivers can effectively provide the safe and reliable services these individuals need. The implementation of these guardrails ensures safe and reliable transportation that can only be effective with consistent oversight, stakeholder input, quantifiable accountability. These also ensure the system is used appropriately and the resources are going to the people who truly need these vital services I support this bill because it helps to create a safer more reliable consistent and well transportation system for all stakeholders but especially for those who need these life-enhancing and life-saving health care services. I thank you all for the opportunity to present here today and welcome any questions you may have.
Thank you so much. Next, we'll go to Kelsey Bell. if you could. Hi, good afternoon. Hello, your two minutes will begin once you set your name and who
you represent. Thank you. My name is Kelsey Bell. I am with the Association for Colorado Centers for Independent Living, and I'm also the Executive Director of Southwest Center for Independence. We're based out of the Durango area. We have, we're a non-profit that serves people with disabilities were led by people with disabilities. And we started an NEMT program about eight going on nine years ago because there was a huge gap in this region of Southwest Colorado for people on Medicaid who didn't have reliable ways to access their medical appointments. As a result, we've grown our program to four vehicles and three drivers, which might not seem big compared to other NEMT providers, but it's a lifeline in our community. During the pandemic, we saw a rollout of the statewide broker model for NEMT providers. For various reasons, it didn't work well for providers. It didn't work well for a lot of our clients who also rely on this service. I think a lot was learned at that point in time. And going into this transition of another statewide broker rollout. This bill should support us in hopefully having a rollout that supports providers who do this service statewide, including in rural areas where service delivery has its own complexities, as well as the people who rely on this service. I urge you all to support this bill today because I believe that it maintains integrity of the program statewide while ensuring that this rollout doesn't leave anybody behind and ensures consistent service delivery and consistent standards across the board. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. We've also had Megan Axelrod
sign up to come testify in person. And while you get situated, can we have the record reflect that Senator Cutter has joined us? Ms. Axelrod, if you could please state your name, who you're with,
your two minutes will begin. Thank you, Madam Chair. Megan Axelrod, I am the Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Federal Affairs with the Colorado Hospital Association. I am here to testify in support of House Bill 26-1328 with a huge amount of appreciation for the sponsors, Senator Mullica and Kirkmeyer. Colorado hospitals strongly support access to non-emergent medical transport, and we also support ensuring that the Medicaid program is able to maximize federal funding where appropriate and necessary. We have long been working on the ability to classify NEMT as a medical benefit instead of an administrative service. That significantly changes the federal match that is available, particularly in the expansion populations. It is a 90-10 match if it is classified. That way, especially at a time when over 70% of Colorado hospitals operate without a sustainable margin, we are appreciative of the opportunity to ensure that money that is being spent can be classified appropriately and maximize those federal dollars available. We also strongly support beneficiary access and support flexibility to ensure where appropriate. It has continued to be classified as an administrative service to ensure that services remain available to those in the state who need them Thank you Thank you Members are there any questions for this panel
Are there folks on? Oh, maybe. Okay, maybe. Okay, seeing none, thank you so much for your time. Is there anyone else in the room or online who wishes to testify? Okay, seeing none, witness phase is closed. Members, we are on to the amendment phase. Looks like we have one. Sponsors, who would like to tell us about the amendment? Senator Kirkmeyer.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This amendment has been worked out with the department, with the providers, and with the transportation network companies. They've all been working on it for the last, I don't know how long, but a while. And anyways, what it does is it requires, it lets the transportation network companies be a provider, but they have to have regulations that are similar in nature to what all other providers are required to do. It will require rulemaking as established by the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance. Like I said, they all got together, they worked this out, and they're in support of it. I would ask for an aye vote, and it's on L017.
Wonderful. Members, are there questions about L17? Okay, seeing none, Senator Cutter, will you please move L17?
I move Amendment L-17 to House Bill 1328.
That is a proper motion. Members, are there any objections to L-17? Seeing none, L-17 is adopted. Any further amendments? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Committee, I should have asked. I'm sorry, does anyone else have amendments? Okay, seeing none, now the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up, who would like to begin?
Senator Kirkmayer. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll be brief. House Bill 26-1328 modernizes the Colorado's non-emergent medical transport program to better serve Medicaid members, increase transparency for providers, patients, and others, support providers in efforts to provide sustainable and ethical services, and ensure the system operates with greater consistency, accountability, and reliability across both urban and rural communities. It's an important bill. We need this program. A lot of people use this program and need this program, but we need this program to run effectively and efficiently and within the guidelines as required, both under state and federal law. And I think this is how we're going to get there. Thank you.
Thank you.
Senator Mullica. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I will also be brief. Members, this is a good bill. We have heard the issues in this area within HICPF all session. We have heard the issues within HICPUF in regards to making sure that our dollars are spent to the best of their ability. This is one of the areas where that was not happening. This bill does something about that. This bill makes sure that those dollars go to helping the people that they're supposed to help and make sure that we are utilizing our dollars in the best ways possible. And I also want to be clear because my co-prime sponsor touched on it in her opening statements, but I don't think that we can overstate this. This bill, the way we are setting this up in the financial situation that we're in as a state, this bill at minimum is going to bring in 64 million dollars into our state over the next two years. Those are real dollars. Those are dollars that are going to help us make sure that vulnerable people in our state receive access to health care, can continue receiving transportation to their medical appointments, can continue making sure that they don't get sick, end up in the ER, end up in the ICU. This bill is a good bill. It's a bill that I'm proud to to bring with my co-prime sponsor, and I would ask for a yes vote.
Thank you. Members, final thoughts? Prayers? Okay. Seeing none, I just want to say thank you. I know this affects my district quite a bit, and there's quite a few small businesses that depend on these dollars, so thank you so much. If there are no closing comments from the committee...
Senator Cutter, the proper motion is to the Appropriations Committee.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I move House Bill 1328 as amended to the Appropriations Committee with a favorable recommendation.
That is a proper motion. Mr. Brown, please call the roll.
Senators, Baisley.
Pass.
Ball.
Aye.
Doherty.
Yes.
Rich.
Aye.
Cutter.
Aye.
Baisley again
Respectfully no
Madam Chair Judah
Yes
That passes 5-1 Congratulations you are on your way to appropriations Thank you Thank you We are going to go out of order, and we're going to go to House Bill 26-1298 with Senator Cutter.
And I see our sponsor is at the desk.
Go ahead and start when you're ready.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy today to present House Bill 1298. So we're currently in an interagency agreement with CDEC to perform FBI fingerprint background checks for out-of-home providers for foster youth. Prior to Colorado Department of Early Childhood becoming its own department, these checks had been done with CDHS through the Office of Early Childhood. When the CDEC was created, that authority transferred with them, and we've been using the interagency agreement ever since then to conduct these background checks. So recently, the FBI flagged our statute, that our statute no longer supports this agreement. It's no longer supported in law, so we need to address it. And they gave us until May 2026 to update our statuses. In January of this year, CDHS was informed that they will no longer honor that agreement. so they've worked on a very temporary solution with CBI allowing them to continue performing background checks under different coding but it was just really a temporary solution and we and the department is at risk of the FBI no longer allowing the state to perform these checks and you can imagine for home providers for foster youth That's a really important part of the process. So losing the ability to do this could potentially shut down the entire out-of-home placement continuum from certified kinship care through psychiatric residential treatment facilities, which currently supports more than 3 children and youth in Colorado who would otherwise be unsafe at home This is really important to continuing to help and support our youth This bill would formally move all FBI background checks for out-of-home placements for foster youth under CDHS. So it's a pretty straightforward bill, and I hope we can get your support in that.
Great, thank you. Members, do you have any questions? Okay, seeing none, let's go to witness testimony. We only have one person signed up, so Senator Cutter, if you want to stay put. Logan Ellett. Perfect. Logan, if you want to state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Logan Ellett. Oh, I'm sorry.
There you go. Oh, thank you.
You can start over.
Totally fine.
Okay, thank you. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee. My name is Logan Ellett. I'm the Provider Development Manager for the Division of Child Welfare at the Colorado Department of Human Services. Background investigations are a part of my unit's responsibility as the regulatory body for the 24-hour child care providers, child placement agencies, and day treatment providers. I'd like to provide some quick context related to the bill that you see before you. As most are aware, Colorado and federal statutes currently require background checks for all individuals who provide out-of-home care for children and youth in out-of-home placement settings, which include ones specific to child abuse and neglect, history of sex offender, out-of-state checks, Colorado courts checks, and the fingerprint-based criminal history checks under CBI and FBI, which are all required to ensure child safety. The individuals in these settings who are currently being checked include thousands of certified foster and kinship parents and staff in all of our facilities and agencies. What this bill does is updates the Licensing Act statutes in Title 26 to restore statutory authority to the department and counties, as well as aligns with the FBI's requirements under Public Law 92-544. If the statutes are not adopted and cleaned up to be in alignment with the FBI's requirements, the risk is that Colorado's children and youth may not have access to an out-of-home placement continuum at all, because without background checks, there's no way to ensure child safety in these settings. Secondarily, not adopting the revised statutes will continue to make Colorado out of compliance with federal laws. And finally, all of this could result in a loss of federal 4E funding, which would impact thousands of certified homes, facilities, agencies, and settings that are supporting our state's most vulnerable youth. We are not adding any additional requirements or additional checks, only aligning statutory language to what is already current practice and what is required in federal law. And I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you so much. Members, questions? Okay, seeing none. Is there anyone else in the room or online that wishes to testify? Okay, seeing none, witness phase is closed. Thank you so much for your time. Senator Cutter, do you have any amendments? No, Madam Chai, I do not. Perfect. Okay, the amendment phase is closed. after I asked the committee, are there any amendments? Okay, no amendments.
Wrap up. Senator Cotter. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks, committee, for hearing this bill. There's not really much more to say. It's pretty straightforward and simple change in statute that will support foster youth that really, really need to be in safe places. So hopefully you will support this today. Thank you so much.
Committee, any other comments? Okay seeing none Mr Brown can you No we need a motion Can you please move your bill to the Committee on Appropriations Won't won't. Thank you, Madam Chair.
I move House Bill 1298 to the Committee of Appropriations with a favorable recommendation.
That is a proper motion. Mr. Brown, please call the roll.
Senators, Baisley.
Aye.
Ball. Aye.
Doherty.
Yes.
Rich. Yes.
Cutter. Yes.
Madam Chair Judah. Aye.
That passes unanimously. Congratulations. You're on your way to the Committee on Appropriations. We're going to take a quick senatorial fight before we get our next sponsor down here.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you.
Okay. Okay, the Senate will come back to order, and we're just going to have the record reflect that Senator Exum has joined us. okay we are going to go out of order a little bit and hear house bill 26 1170 sorry 1147
and senator cutter would you like to start us off well how lovely to see you today committee thank you thank you for hearing um what bill is 1147 today house bill 1147 um so this bill is to support people with disabilities. There continues to be reports of abuse, neglect, rights violations, and a continued shorting of beds, bed allocation by region. The solutions in this bill are going to help us take the first steps to prevent some serious issues within a system and to care for people with disabilities across the state. So, host homes are private residences where individuals with developmental disabilities reside with a caregiver, often referred to as a provider. The provider opens their home to offer personalized care and daily support, ranging from help with meals and hygiene to transportation and medication management, daily caregiving things. This model is a cornerstone of achieving independent living for IDD adults designed to promote autonomy and foster community involvement. And the current laws are not sufficient to ensure that these adults have access to house homes that are free from abuse, neglect, rights violations, and it also allows for avoiding accountability. So what House Bill 1147 will do, it will require HICPF to make a statewide database for data, including the host home, the PASA that is or was affiliated with it, the region that it operates in, and some sort of direct line of communication for that host time, like a phone number, email, etc. It also creates a pathway for consumers to access that information prior to placement. There's a lot of community support for this because we received some feedback from Autism Speaks, who is very much behind this bill. They believe that current laws and regulations aren't sufficient to ensure that these adults with IDD are safe. So this would help close the gap and making things publicly accessible database would increase transparency and hopefully improve the overall process. So that is it.
Perfect. Members, any questions for the senator? Okay, seeing none, we will move on to witness testimony. Everyone's in favor, so I'm just going to go down the list. In person, we have Lindsay Meadow, Jack Johnson, Jack Johnson again, Elizabeth Moore. Are they in the room? Yeah, so, okay, let's go online. Okay, so it looks like Lindsay's online. Can we also pull up Mary Walton, Jody Walters, Julie Ruskin, and Hany Riley? Sweet. Okay, Ms. Menno, is that you?
Yes, I'm here.
If you could please state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Sure. My name is Lindsay Menno, and I am the Deputy Director at DDRC in Lakewood, Colorado. So, good afternoon, members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of House Bill 1147. My name is Lindsay Menno, Director of DDRC, a nonprofit supporting children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I am also a host home provider. This year marks my 18th year sharing my home with Anne, a wonderful woman with Down syndrome. I became a host home provider because living in a real home, not an institution, gives people with disabilities the opportunity to live ordinary connected self lives Anne has grown in independence and confidence precisely because she lives in a family home That is the heart of Colorado vision for community living That why the balance in this bill matters so much As both a provider and an executive, I know that safety and integrity in host homes are critical to positive outcomes for somebody like Ann. From an agency perspective, the database included in this bill is an overdue and essential tool. Right now, agencies cannot transparently see whether a newly applying host home provider may be concealing past issues that could jeopardize a person's safety or place an agency at risk for noncompliance. This bill helps remove bad actors from the system. As a host home provider, I am comfortable providing my information so long as it does not compromise the privacy or safety of my home. House Bill 1147 also preserves the intent of a true community-based family-like setting by clearly defining host homes as residences, rather, not institutions. This avoids imposing costly fire sprinkler requirements that are financially unattainable for most providers, many of whom make less than Colorado's minimum wage when reimbursement rates are broken down hourly. Colorado already has strong safety requirements, including background checks, regular in-home visits and comprehensive safety assessments. Supporting these safeguards while honoring the dignity of risk strikes the right balance. For these reasons, I respectfully urge your support. Thank you so much.
Next, we will go to Ms. Ruskin. If you could please state your name, who you're representing. Your two minutes will begin.
Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Julie Ruskin, and I am one of the co-executive directors representing the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition. we are here in strong support of this bill we are the organization that asked for the original sunrise report that showed that harm does exist in this program then we ran a bill that had hick puff work with stakeholders on what regulation should be in place and we ran into a barrier because no one even knew where these places were there was not even a list this is very concerning because this is the group of people that are the most severely disabled in the system. It takes a lot to qualify for 24-hour support. And it's also the most expensive program in the system. So this bill makes a lot of sense because we have to have, with the vulnerability plus the cost, we must know where these places are, who is doing what, so that we have appropriate oversight. And as my co-panelists said, this strikes a balance. We also need to not exempt anyone based on relationships. There are most family members are lovely, but there is a national day of mourning for people with disabilities who are murdered by family members. So it's very important that everyone is treated the same. All of the providers are treated the same. And again, Lindsay said it beautifully that this does strike a balance between privacy and accountability. Thank you so much for your anticipated support of this bill.
Thank you so much. Next, we'll go to Hany Raley, if you could say your name.
Yeah.
Perfect. Say your name, who you're with and who you're representing.
Of course. Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Hany Raley. I'm the Executive Director of the Arc of Aurora, and we are also here asking for your support to protect the rights and dignity and well-being of people with disabilities in host home settings. We've joined CCDC for many years working on refining this system and are glad that we're at this step Community services like host homes aren just cost they actually lead to better healthier stronger outcomes and fuller lives for people with disabilities Host home models are not the problem and really when done right they are a thing of beauty they're real homes, real relationships in the real community and they'd be something that we'd want for all of ourselves and our families. But when done wrong, people needlessly suffer and Colorado pays financially and morally for deplorable living situations. Without proper protections and oversight, people with disabilities face discrimination, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other forms of mistreatment. They're often seen by predators as easy targets, unable to report or really be considered credible witnesses to their own abuse. I understand that families have spoken out in regards to the family caregiver concerns, And to be frank, we agree. More needs to be done to improve the system for services of people with IDD. And families are right to be concerned that over this legislative session, they've been told directly and indirectly that they're minimally valued while being asked to carry impossible burdens. We hear the frustration and we share most of it. But while we build these systems that actually work for people with disabilities, we cannot continue to provide services that are deplorable. We have to strengthen these supports. We cannot allow people with IDD to be victimized in host home settings in the meantime. This bill helps create that. It will be safe. It will help save lives. Let me be clear, the community of advocacy organizations and my members, we don't really see the need for more regulations and arguably the authority fits squarely under HICPOP and CDPHE. It's a start. We just simply ask that people with IDD have safe places to live. Thank you. That there's clear oversight and authority, and we ask for your support.
Thank you so much. Mr. Johnson did join us. Do you want to state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair, and I apologize for being let in. I didn't realize we're doing concurrent committees today, so I was up in Senate Finance. My name is Jack Johnson. I'm an attorney at Disability Law Colorado here testifying in support of House Bill 1147. This bill has been in the works probably for four or five years now, and it started with some really severe cases of abuse and neglect in host homes. And we began to ask questions about how and why does this occur. And one of the problems that we come up with over and over again is this is a system that was built on family caregivers and family caregiving, but it is no longer just that. And so while professional licensing doesn't match with the current regulatory pathway for these families, no oversight at all also doesn't work. And one of the key problems that was identified through this process is the idea of something called pasta shopping. That is where when a host home is terminated for a cause, which could be including abuse and neglect, they can simply open up in a different pasta under a different name. What this means is that it is really hard for an individual, especially an individual who has a disability or their family member, who's looking to place that person from understanding the quality of care that they're about to receive. The way to prevent that is to provide consumers' choice and consumers' information about that choice. So at the heart of this bill is the idea that we are providing these individuals who are going into their host homes and their families the opportunity to make good choices rather than just regulate them and let the consumers and markets decide based on the information the best place for their individuals. And by doing that we hope that we can allow individuals to enter into the safest setting possible while still maintaining this type of cottage market an individual market that allows family caregivers to provide the quality level of care I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you for your time. Thank you. Members, are there questions for this panel?
Senator Baisley. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm trying to understand why this isn't just done. It just seems like normal operation that the agency would accomplish. If the bill were not to pass, couldn't they just do this anyway and shouldn't they?
Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the question, Senator Baisley. The short answer is yes. If the bill were not to pass, they could create a database. In fact, there has been early iterations of this being done. But the long answer is it gets complicated when it comes to how that information is shared and what the department can do in terms of rulemaking and creating protections for that information in that database. And so clear legislative authorization that gives them both the authorization to finish this project, share it appropriately, but not overshare it or get pressured to overshare that information and allow them to have rulemaking to do that is the pathway that is most airtight in terms of protecting individual information while also allowing the department to finish this work. Thank you.
Any other questions? Okay, seeing none, thank you so much to everyone for your time and for joining us today. Our next panel is also remote. Cassandra Keller. Christina Bucheo Ellen Jonesby and Megan Lovelace. Lovelace. Okay, Ms. Keller, are you... If you could please unmute, state your name, who you're with. Yeah, she did just disappear. Okay, Christina, are you there?
I am. Thank you.
Perfect. If you could state your name, who you're representing, and your two minutes will begin.
Madam Chair and committee members, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today in support of House Bill 261147. My name is Christina Bateron. I am the Adult Advocacy Coordinator with the ArcPikes Peak Region. We serve El Paso Park and Teller counties. I have had the privilege of working with, for, and on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 30 years. And in my role, I have interacted with IRS settings throughout those 30 years. This bill bridges a gap that has been open for far too long by requiring state departments to enhance tracking, monitoring, and coordination to ensure compliance with health safety and quality standards, as well as providing appropriate protections for people receiving IRS services across all settings. Throughout my decades of service, I have met and worked with phenomenal host-owned providers. Host-owned providers are critical members of Colorado service delivery. system. Most of those providers do it for the right reasons, with love, compassion, and commitment to quality service delivery, allowing people to receive the services to live their best lives. The great host home provider settings allow for relationships that reflect chosen family. While the hope is for the great host home settings in every situation, the reality is that not every host home provider is doing it for the right reason. Our current system allows bad actors to engage with multiple program-approved service agencies with little oversight. In fact, some of those bad actors have opened PASAs. Closing the gaps will ensure vital communication. I am hopeful that the departments will ensure the forthcoming rules protect people with IDD and their privacy, while ensuring PASAs and the state departments all use tools available to ensure the intent of this bill. So thank you, and I'm available for questions.
Thank you so much. Next, we'll go to Ms. Keller.
Thank you, and I apologize. I didn't have the microphone ability. Thank you, Madam Chair, and good afternoon, committee. My name is Cassandra Keller, and I'm the manager over our Community Options Benefits Section, which oversees all of our home and community-based services, or HCBS, for Colorado. In particular, this includes Individual Residential Service and Support, or IRSS, which is a benefit available to members enrolled in our Developmental Disability or DD waiver. IRSS provides residential support to members with developmental disabilities, ensuring health and safety while offering individualized guidance, support, and habilitation in a community setting. IRSS uses a variety of living arrangements to meet each member's needs. Members may reside in an agency-owned or leased home, their own home, or a host home, with a paid contracted provider through an approved agency. I'd like to thank the sponsors for their leadership on this legislation, as well as key community members for their work on this critical issue. The Department is here today supporting this bill and working with those community organizations seeking to enhance the transparency of these IRSS settings to better ensure the health, safety, and welfare of these DD waiver members. IRSS is the cornerstone of the DD waiver, and these settings truly provide an alternative that is integrated into the community and focused on person-centeredness. While these settings already operate under regulatory frameworks, we have identified clear opportunities to improve tracking, monitoring, and coordination to ensure consistent compliance with health, safety, and quality standards. Waiver participants and their families deserve confidence that protections are applied uniformly and transparently across all residential models, while also ensuring that the privacy of all members and their caregivers are respected. I want to be explicitly clear. Private residential information will remain private. The information housed within the database is for internal uses and is not published for public use. No one will be allowed access to this information. For information on shared locations, only verified and appropriate users will be able to access specific information. It's not a large-scale data pool and has to be verified. This coordinated oversight framework strengthens accountability, supports compliance with state and federal HCBS requirements, and these are the reasons I respectfully urge the committee to support this bill.
Thank you so much. Next we'll go to Ellen Jensby. Thank you, Madam Chair. Perfect. If you could say your name,
you can be representing and your two minutes will begin Absolutely Thank you so much My name is Ellen Jensby I the public Policy Director for Alliance which is a statewide nonprofit association of provider agencies case management agencies and early intervention brokers serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or IDD in Colorado Today, we ask for your support of House Bill 1147. Host homes are a critical residential option for people with IDD, serving roughly half of all people receiving residential supports in Colorado. While most host home providers deliver high-quality, dedicated support, we acknowledge that a small percentage do not meet our high expectations. We support strengthening Colorado's database to give provider agencies and families the information they need to make informed placement decisions and select high-quality providers. We appreciate the collaboration with HICPF and other stakeholders to ensure privacy protections for individuals with IDD and their providers. This bill strikes a thoughtful balance between transparency and privacy while helping to weed out bad actors from our system. Importantly, it also clarifies the application of local fire codes to host homes to ensure that cumbersome sprinkler mandates don't undermine this model at a time when Medicaid reimbursement rates are declining. Retrofitting sprinkler systems is costly and often financially out of reach, and such a requirement would reduce available placements and disrupt supports. IRSS settings, including host homes, are community residences, not institutions. Many individuals with disabilities across Colorado live in residential homes without sprinkler mandates. It is both inaccurate and discriminatory to assume that all people with IDD are incapable of responding in emergencies or to impose a higher standard based on that misconception. Maintaining a strong host home provider pool is essential to ensuring that individuals with IDD can access the setting that best meets their needs. This bill helps achieve that goal in multiple ways, and we ask for your support. Thank you.
Thank you so much. And finally, we'll go to Ms. Lovelace. If you could say your name, who you're with, your two minutes will begin.
Thank you to the chair and committee. My name is Megan Lovelace, and I am the policy and advocacy coordinator for the ARC of Colorado. we stand in strong support of House Bill 1147 and thank the sponsors for bringing this important bill forward. I will share a personal story with you today as a parent of a child with IDD. And when my family needed a host home, we were told by our case manager that in fact, they weren't safe for my daughter to go. And so this bill is so important to create the frameworks necessary so that every person that needs a safe, reliable place in the community to live their best lives can access host homes. It's an important part of our system. And this bill is an important part of making that system work for the providers and the families that need them. Thank you so much for your time today. And please, we ask for your yes vote on this bill. Thank you so much. Members,
Are there questions for this panel?
Senator Baisley. Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a question for Ms. Keller. So the bill lays out a prescription for just good management of the information and protections of that information and so on. What parts of all of that would you not fulfill if this bill did not pass?
Ms. Keller.
Thank you for the question. So I think the challenge is the way individuals reside in the settings that they reside in. They are across the state working through different provider agencies We trying to create one centralized location to house all of that information and prevent that information We need that database to be able to have one centralized location for that information So right now, if a provider agency contracts with Joe and they terminate Joe, another provider agency may not know that that information exists out there. They don't know that Joe was terminated because he has provided lackluster care. He was abusive to members, something like that. And so without that ability to share information among those provider agencies, those bad actors, as we like to call them, will continue to operate. They were just really trying to have information in the hands of all of these provider agencies so they can make informed choices when entering into a contract with a host home provider.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Keller, for engaging me in the conversation. But I'm trying to understand what's preventing HECPA from doing that now.
That's a good question. Thank you for that question, Senator. I think one is the funds to finish up the database that we have begun to develop using American Rescue Plan Act funds. So we need to have the additional funds to be able to finish that. And I think we need the regulatory approval to be able to require this. We'd like that approval, the legislative approval, to have that in our regulations and require that information sharing and tracking.
Senator Basing.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And the $80,000 would do that, Ms. Keller?
It will. Yes. Thank you, Senator. Yes, it would. We have a very good head start using those ARPA funds to develop that database. And we are kind of at the tail end where we need to fine tune it and pilot it and then we'd be able to utilize it.
Thank you. Wonderful. Any other questions for this panel? Seeing none, we will retire this panel. Thank you so much for your time and joining us today. Are there any other witnesses in the room or online who wish to testify? I? Okay, seeing oh if you could come up to the table and if you haven't signed up there's a QR code in the back if you could please use that and sign up and you have signed up what's your name?
Elizabeth Moran
I received confirmation
from the LCS
No worries, I don't have you on my list but that's okay
Elizabeth?
Elizabeth? I apologize, Elizabeth. You're good to go. If you could state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Elizabeth Moran. I serve as the Executive Director at the Arc of Colorado. It is the state chapter of a statewide advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. House Bill 1147 is important because it addresses major safety, accountability, transparency gaps in Colorado's host home system, and I echo my colleague's testimony about treating everyone equitably, and I just wanted to share why. People with developmental disabilities are estimated to be four to ten times more likely to experience abuse than people without disabilities. Studies and advocacy organizations report that abuse is frequently committed by someone the person knows well So that parents extended family intimate partners and of course caregivers Research on disability victimization has found that individuals with IDD are more likely to experience abuse abuse over longer periods, repeated abuse, and less likely to access the justice systems successfully. This bill matters for several key reasons, not the least of which is recognition of how many services and supports have been cut from our Medicaid service and support systems, which I anticipate will further isolate individuals with disabilities, making them more vulnerable. In addition to creating protections for these vulnerable adults, creating a complaint and tracking system and improving transparency, the families choosing this care, it supports community-based living. Colorado is known, and we hear often about Colorado as a state for all. And advocates support host homes, if you heard in some of the testimony, because they provide more independence, more social inclusion, more personalized care. But that also requires more meaningful oversight and protection. This bill gives a shift toward greater dignity and safety, more state accountability, better visibility into provider histories and stronger protections. This bill could help prevent that repeated abuse and neglect cases by making information sharing and oversight more coordinated across our systems. For these reasons, I urge your vote in support of House Bill 1147. Thank you.
Thank you. Are you Amy?
Yes.
Perfect. If you could state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Thank you. My name is Amy Diamond, and I'm here representing myself in favor of the passage of 1147. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner working in community mental health, I treat a number of individuals who are living in host homes. And it's really beautiful to witness and support the way the community steps up this way and opens their homes to the more cognitively or developmentally at risk among us. In that half hour, I see them every month or two or three. I reassess how they're doing medically, psychiatrically, and socially. If there's tension I pick up on, which is my responsibility to be aware of, I have to address it before they walk out that door. Fortunately, in my caseload, Boulder County, I have not witnessed nor have been informed of overt abuse, but many have come to me with that history. Providing a precise mechanism whereby clients and their families, interchangeably clients, patients, in medicine we refer to them as patients, a mechanism whereby they can voice and register discontent is also early intervention and an opportunity for repair, which can itself be therapeutic as well as preventative. That's what I hope from this bill. Sometimes a host home arrangement just isn't a good fit against everyone's good intentions. Or there will be one adjustment that needs confronting, but instead it escalates because maybe the provider doesn't know how to approach the symptoms of a particular condition, or maybe the client is dysregulated from the move, or the family is stressed out and so on, such that things are rocky. But what should not happen is that the patient and family isn't by this time made as explicitly aware as they can be that there is a process to express and log their concerns. That's healthy empowerment. We should want to be proactive in screening the bad actors and disincentivizing the impressionable ones as part of the process of supporting patients and good-willed host home providers, helping them problem solve. Thank you very much. Thank you so much.
Ms. Walters was able to join us online. if you could please state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes will begin.
Thank you. Chair and members, of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Jody Walters and I serve as the CEO of Imagine, a non-profit organization that has supported people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Boulder and Broomfield counties since 1963. I'm also on the
board of Alliance and serve as the chair of the IDD Provider Policy Committee. I'm here today in support of House Bill 26-1147. At Imagine, we support more than 150 individuals in host homes. For many people, these are not temporary placements. They're long-term homes and relationships built around community, belonging, and stability. Our average placement length is nearly nine years, and many individuals have lived with the same provider for more than 15 years. The vast majority of host home providers are extraordinary people providing compassionate, high-quality supports that allow individuals with disabilities to live integrated lives in their communities rather than more restrictive settings. This model is one of Colorado's greatest strengths within community-based services. At the same time, vulnerable individuals deserve strong safeguards and accountability. This bill strikes an important balance. Today, there is no comprehensive statewide tracking system for host home providers across provider agencies. As a result, providers who are terminated for serious concerns can sometimes move between agencies without critical information following them. House Bill 261147 improves coordination, oversight, and transparency by creating a statewide database accessible to HICPF, CDPHE, providers, and critically to individuals and families choosing where to live. This will better protect people receiving services and ensure Medicaid dollars support compliant, quality providers. Importantly, the bill also codifies host homes as residential homes, not facilities or institutions. That distinction matters deeply to the people who live there and to the future of community living in Colorado. Thank you. We believe this bill. Thank you.
Thank you so much. All right. Any other folks online or in the room who wish to testify? I apologize. Does anyone have questions for this panel? Seeing none, thank you so much for your time and thank you for logging on. We will close our witness phase. Senator Cutter, any amendments?
No, Madam Chair.
Committee, any amendments? All right. Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up. Thank you committee for hearing this bill today
I know that this is I actually know first hand that this has been a product of a lot of work and a lot of stake holding and thoughtful deliberation about how best to do this my best friend actually works with our what was the last was it I'm blanking on her last name but she works at Imagine and has talked to me a lot about some of the issues and how this is going to be a good resolution so I was excited to support this bill and hope you will be too.
Thank you. Members, any? Senator Baisley.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Senator Cutter for bringing this bill. I am I just learned of host families and host facilities just like two hours ago for the first time since I was appointed to substitute for Senator Frizzell for here. At any rate, What a worthy important wonderful program that is appropriate for us to kind of manage and help facilitate happening I'm so glad to hear that it exists. I didn't know that it existed before. I'm always bothered when we in the legislative branch are directing the executive branch on how to fulfill their responsibilities. So I'm still a little bothered by that kind of prescriptive detail in the bill. However, when Ms. Keller responded the way I was listening for her to respond and say, but we need the funds, well, that is our responsibility as a legislature to provide the funds that they need to go fulfill their responsibility. So I will be a strong yes today, and thank you for bringing that.
Thank you. Members, any other closing comments? Okay, seeing none, Senator Cutter, the proper motion is the Committee on Appropriations.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move House Bill 261075 to Appropriations.
That's a proper motion. Mr. Brown, please call the roll. Senators Baisley.
Aye.
Ball.
Aye.
Doherty.
Yes.
Exum.
Aye.
Rich.
Aye.
Cutter.
Apologies, I was looking at the wrong bill folder. I moved the wrong bill number.
We're going to start that over. Probably don't want to approve that one until we've actually heard the bill. Senator Cutter.
Tricky, tricky. I move.
Okay, now I'm confused.
I move House Bill 26-1147 to appropriations.
That is a proper option. Senators Baisley
Aye
Ball
Aye
Doherty
Yes
Exum
Aye
Rich
Aye
Cutter
Aye
Madam Chair Judah
Aye
And that passes unanimously. Congratulations. You're on your way to appropriations. We will take a quick Senatorial 5 waiting for our next co-sponsor. Okay, perfect. Health and Human Services will come back to order. we see our sponsors. Who would like to start? Senator Frizzell.
Thank you. Madam Chair, so good to see my friends from Health and Human Services and greetings from finance. I'd rather be here. Just between us. today we bring to you house bill 1075 and many of you know i've had kind of a long career in local government before it came to the legislature and i've seen firsthand the fiscal pressures counties face in delivering critical services especially child welfare counties are being asked to do more with less while still improving outcomes for children and families. They need funding structures that are predictable with a workload that is anything but that This bill makes a targeted update on how federal prevention dollars are allocated based on which programs generate those funds So today, all federal Family First Prevention Services Act dollars flow into the Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund. Regardless of whether those funds are generated by the Department of Early Childhood Programs or by the state and county child welfare services, they all just kind of go in that one spot. This bill creates a clearer distinction, and when those federal dollars are generated through the Department of Early Childhood Funded Programs, they will continue to support the trust fund. When they are generated through state and county child welfare programs, they will be reinvested back into child welfare in those counties. So in short, this really ensures that the dollars follow the services that generate them. For counties, this is a huge, huge deal. It provides greater clarity and stability on how federal reimbursement dollars are used and ensures that investments in child welfare services are reinvested back into those county systems. This is just a straightforward update that ensures federal dollars are directed back into the programs that generate them. And finally, this bill also continues the trust fund and its board maintaining support for prevention programs. This is important as this 19-member panel plays a key role in promoting primary and secondary prevention programs to reduce child abuse and neglect. I respectfully ask for your support of this legislation.
Thank you. Senator Cutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Committee, for hearing House Bill 1075 from your friend Lisa and your other friend Lisa. We are really happy to do this bill in support, as my colleague here said, in support of local government, which I hope to have an interest in soon. And at the core, it's just really about supporting families earlier before challenges turn into crises. When families have access to mental health care, substance use treatment, and in-home supports, children are more likely to stay at home or to remain safe at home. These are the kind of prevention services that strengthen families and reduce the need for foster care. So as you heard, Colorado has already begun this work under the Federal Family First Prevention Services Act, and this bill just builds on that just to make sure that funding structure supports these efforts into some more intentional way. And, you know, today they're all pooled. The funds are all pooled, but this bill creates clearer alignment and strengthens both systems. It maintains long-term investments in prevention while ensuring that child welfare programs at the county level and the local level have the resources they need to continue serving families. Just as importantly, it continues the Trust Fund and Prevention Board, reinforcing Colorado's long-term, very important commitment to prevention. When we get this right, we're just not funding programs, but we're creating some sustainability for families, improving out, or stability, I should say, for families, improving outcomes for children, and building stronger communities. So I respectfully ask for your support. F-House Bill 1075.
Senator Frizzell.
Thank you. And I just wanted to mention this is a CCI Colorado County Zinc priority bill It is enthusiastically supported by my own county Douglas County They really view this as important legislation to help keep funding Douglas County programs and county programs. It's just really important funding for the counties. Thank you.
Members, questions for our sponsors? Okay, seeing none, we only have one person signed up for questions only. Yeah, please, come on up. Are we doing questions only or witness testimony?
Support.
We have one person in support. Do you want to state your name, who you're with, and your two minutes can begin?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Kevin Neiman, today I come before you representing Colorado Counties, Inc., the membership association representing the interest of all 64 counties. I'm pleased that the bill sponsors have brought this one forward. This is a wonderful bill. Larimer County had originally brought this concept forward and vetted it through the CCI process. We're fortunate enough to have been working with the state agencies involved, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Early Childhood. This bill has landed at a wonderful place. It helps keep families intact and kids with their families and helps sustain those programs. Great bill.
IRGS vote. Wonderful. And then Sonia Omelas is here for questions only. Do members have any questions? Senator Baisley. Sonia, if you can come right up.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For anyone, I'm trying to understand if this is, these are funds that go to the Department of Early Childhood or coming from the Department of Early Childhood. what is the Department of Early Childhood's responsibility or role in child abuse prevention?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the question, Senator Baisley. So when you think about child abuse prevention, there's several different agencies that are involved in that. You have the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing as a Medicaid and CHIP plan for the individuals for their health care and services. You have the Department of Early Childhood who's working on not only child abuse prevention, but also early childhood education and child care services that are needed for families. And then you have the State Department of Human Services in conjunction with county departments of human services that are responsible for administering the state's child protective services. As it relates to this bill today, under the federal program, the state is able to draw down funds for eligible child abuse prevention services. Today, regardless of who has implemented those programs, all of that money flows back into one trust fund. What this bill is doing is saying that all of those funds transfer back into that trust fund if the underlying program was funded by the Department of Early Childhood. If the underlying program was funded by the state and or county child welfare operations, that money goes back to child welfare operations to sustain the prevention activities.
Senator Basley. So thank you for that, but for clarification from my little pea brain, is there not funding going to the Department of Early Childhood to provide any of those services? That's what I'm trying to get at. Is the Department of Early Childhood taking on abuse prevention as a responsibility as well?
Thank you for the question. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the question, Senator Baisley. So the Department of Early Childhood has a responsibility to administer certain programs current law that could fall into that category of child abuse prevention. So for those particular programs that they're receiving funding through the long bill for today, many of those programs, or at least a few of those programs, are also eligible to draw down additional federal funds for child abuse prevention. That's what we're talking about today with this bill. So if your question is, does the Department of Early Childhood have some programming that relates to child abuse prevention, absolutely. They do a lot of different things to help parenting and other programs within their agency that they then work with community partners to implement to help strengthen families. So they absolutely have those programs today. What they're doing then is leveraging those programs to bring down additional federal money if they qualify. So those are not touched as part of this bill. We're saying that if it's a child welfare program that has drawn down those additional federal monies, those go back to child welfare to sustain the programs.
Perfect. I'm not sure I'm still getting at what you're... I'm not...I feel like from our eye contact here, I missing the point of your question I don think the Department of Early Childhood should exist in the first place because it was put together against the will of the people back when Proposition EE was passed where the money was supposed to go elsewhere and instead it was used to create this department So that's my issue. As I'm looking for, if the money is going to where it ought to go through this bill, then I'm all for it. If it's going to a department that's becoming a new bloated bureaucracy, then I would be against it. So that's what I'm trying to understand. I don't know if you can help me with that.
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Senator Baisley, for that clarification. I apologize. I wasn't catching on to that earlier. So what I would say is that the answer to this, is this growing any government programs? No. This is taking existing funding that's coming into the state and allocating it differently. That's what this is doing. It is not growing the Department of Early Childhood. In terms of your opinions on the Department of Early Childhood, that probably falls outside of the bill title on this one But certainly I sure there folks here in the room that would be happy to have that conversation But in terms of growing programs within the Department of Early Childhood or County Human Services departments or the Department of Human Services, this bill does not do that.
Thank you very much. Appreciate that.
Wonderful. Any other questions? Thank you so much to our witnesses. Is there anyone else in the room or online who wishes to testify? Okay, seeing none, the witness phase is closed. Sponsors, amendments.
No amendments.
Committee members. Seeing no amendments, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up. Who would like to...
Senator Frizzell. I really don't have much more to add. This is not a complicated bill. I really just want to make sure that counties are getting the funding that they need to do the jobs that they have to do, and that's what this bill is really about.
Senator Cutter.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Ditto. This just is some clear alignment in a way that really makes a lot of sense to best support families and the work done at the county level and I just want to thank my copine for allowing me to join her It a great bill Thank you Members any final comments Okay seeing
none. Senator Cutter, the proper motion is to the
Committee on Appropriations. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to look at the bill number just to make sure. 1075. 1075. I move House Bill 1075 to the Committee on Appropriations.
That is a proper motion. Mr. Brown, please call the roll. Senators Baisley. Aye.
Ball. Aye.
Doherty. Yes.
Exum. Aye.
Rich. Aye.
Cutter. Aye.
Madam Chair Judah. Aye.
Congratulations. That passes unanimously in your and your way to appropriations.
That is all our business for today, and we are adjourning Health and Human Services.
Thank you.
Oh, you did.
You did.
No, it's fine.
You had a bell.
It's fine. That's how you do it.