House Bills 2015

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1036 Rep. Tate	WARN PREGNANT WOMEN MEDICAL MARIJUANA DANGERS Concerning the posting of information on the dangers of marijuana to a fetus at medical marijuana centers.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill requires the department of revenue to promulgate rules regarding a requirement that a licensed medical marijuana center display in a conspicuous location a sign that warns pregnant women about the dangers to fetuses caused by smoking or ingesting marijuana while pregnant. The rules shall include the specific language regarding the warning that must be included on the sign. The bill prohibits a medical marijuana center agent or employee from recommending medical marijuana to a pregnant woman.
ACTIVITY: 01/07/2015 Introduced In House -Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services. FINAL ACTION: 02/03/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1036

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1037 Rep. Priola Sen. T. Neville	RELIGIOUS FREEDOM STUDENT GROUPS HIGHER EDUCATION Concerning religious freedom for student groups at state institutions of higher education.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill prohibits a state institution of higher education (institution) from denying a religious student group a benefit that the institution provides to a nonreligious student group solely because the religious student group requires its leaders to adhere to the groups sincerely held religious beliefs or standards of conduct. These benefits include recognition, registration, use of institution facilities, use of institution channels of communication, and available institution funding sources.
ACTIVITY: 01/07/2015 Introduced In House -Assigned to Education FINAL ACTION: 02/09/2015 House Committee on Education Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1037

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1106 Rep. Saine Sen. Sonnenberg	CLARIFY ACCESS TO UNREDACTED ADOPTION RECORDS Concerning the clarification of access by eligible persons to unredacted adoption records that contain identifying information.	MONITOR
DESCRIPTION: In 2014, the general assembly enacted S.B. 14-051 to provide access by eligible persons to adoption records held by custodians of records, including courts and state agencies. Some courts and state agencies have interpreted the law to require redaction or removal of identifying information from adoption records prior to releasing the adoption records pursuant to the access provisions enacted in S.B.14- 051. To clarify the law about whether identifying information in an adoption record must be redacted prior to releasing adoption records to eligible persons; the bill creates a separate definition of “adoption record” that applies to the access provisions enacted in S.B. 14-051. The bill clarifies that a court or state agency is required to release the adoption records to eligible persons who are authorized in statute to have direct access to the adoption records, without redaction, including any identifying information and nonidentifying information. The bill takes effect upon passage and applies to all requests and applications for access to adoption records filed on or after said date.
ACTIVITY: 01/15/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services 02/10/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole 02/13/2015 House Second Reading Passed No Amendments 02/19/2015 House Third Reading Passed No Amendments 02/25/2015 Introduced In Senate – Assigned to Health & Human Services 03/11/2015 Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended – Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole 03/16/2015 Senate Second Reading Passed 03/17/2015 Senate Third Reading Passed 03/20/2015 Signed by the Speaker of the House 03/20/2015 Signed by the President of the Senate 03/20/2015 Sent to the Governor FINAL ACTION: March 3, 2015 Governor Signed Into law CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1106

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1111 Rep. McCann Sen. Crowder	MATERNAL MORTALITY PREVENTION ACT Concerning the creation of a maternal mortality committee in the department of public health and environment.	MONITOR
DESCRIPTION: The bill creates the Colorado maternal mortality review committee for the purpose of reviewing maternal mortality cases that occur in Colorado, identifying the causes of maternal mortality, and developing recommendations to prevent further maternal mortalities. The chief medical officer in the department of public health and environment (department) is directed to appoint up to 25 members to serve on the committee. The committee is required to review maternal mortalities, outline trends and patterns, develop and disseminate recommendations for the prevention of maternal mortalities, compile reports on maternal mortalities for distribution, and serve as a link to other maternal mortality review teams. The bill requires certain health care providers and law enforcement officials to provide health information and medical records to the Department concerning each maternal mortality for access by the members of the committee. The medical records and information and activities of the committee are confidential.
ACTIVITY: 01/15/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services 02/03/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations 02/20/2015 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole 02/24/2015 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments – Committee 02/25/2015 House Third Reading Passed – No Amendments 03/03/2015 Introduced In Senate – Assigned to Health & Human Services + Finance + Appropriations 03/18/2015 Senate Committee on Health & Human Services – Laid Over 03/19/2015 Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended to Finance FINAL ACTION: Thursday, April 9 – 04/09/2015 Senate Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1111

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1112 Rep. Landgraf	BORN-ALIVE INFANT PROTECTION ACT Concerning creation of the “born-alive infant protection act”	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill prohibits a person from denying or depriving an infant of nourishment with the intent to cause or allow the death of the infant for any reason. A person is prohibited from depriving an infant of medically appropriate and reasonable medical care or treatment unless the medical care: Is not necessary to save the life of the infant; Has a potential risk to the infant’s life or health that outweighs the potential benefit of the medical care; or Is treatment that will do no more than temporarily prolong the act of dying when death is imminent. The bill requires a physician performing an abortion to take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life of a born- alive infant. A person is prohibited from using a born-alive infant for any type of scientific research or other kind of experimentation unless it is necessary to protect or preserve the life and health of a born-alive infant. The bill prohibits infanticide. The bill provides that a born-alive infant is a legal person under the law with the same rights to medically appropriate and legal care and treatment.
ACTIVITY: 01/15/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services + Appropriations FINAL ACTION: 03/03/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1112

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1128 Rep. P.Neville Sen. T. Neville	WOMEN’S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT Concerning the adoption of the “women’s health protection act”.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill requires all abortion clinics to be licensed by the department of public health and environment (department). Licensure is valid for one year. Prior to licensure or re-licensure, the department shall conduct an on-site inspection of the abortion clinic. The bill requires the department to promulgate rules regarding: The abortion clinic’s physical facilities; The abortion clinic’s supply and equipment standards; The abortion clinic’s personnel, including requiring that the clinic employ at least one doctor with admitting privileges at a hospital within the state within 30 miles of the abortion clinic; Medical screening and evaluation of each patient; The abortion procedure; Minimum recovery room standards; Follow-up care for abortion patients; and Minimum incident reporting. The bill creates criminal and civil penalties for violations of the requirements of the bill.
ACTIVITY: 01/16/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment + Appropriations FINAL ACTION: 02/12/2015 House Committee on Health, Insurance, & Environment Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1128

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1135 Rep. Court Sen. Guzman	COLORADO DEATH WITH DIGNITY ACT Concerning a terminally ill individual’s freedom to make end-of-life decisions.	OPPOSE
DESCRIPTION: The bill enacts the “Colorado Death with Dignity Act” (act), which authorizes an individual with a terminal illness to request, and the individual’s attending physician to prescribe to the individual for self-administration by ingestion, life-ending medication intended to hasten the individual’s death. The individual must: Be a Colorado resident; Be an adult who is able to make and communicate health care decisions; Have a terminal illness; and Voluntarily request life-ending medication to self-administer by ingestion. The act outlines the manner by which a terminally ill individual must request life- ending medication to self-administer by ingestion, which includes: A requirement to make the request orally on 2 separate occasions and by a written, signed, and witness-verified request; A waiting period between the oral requests, the written request, and the time the attending physician may write the prescription; and The individual’s right to rescind the request at any time and in any manner. Any person who participates in the life-ending process, including a physician who prescribes life-ending medication to an individual with a terminal illness, is protected from civil and criminal liability and professional disciplinary action if the physician or other person acts in good-faith compliance with the requirements of the act. The attending physician is required to: Determine that an individual is suffering from a terminal illness, is capable, is making the request voluntarily, and is a Colorado resident; Inform the individual of his or her medical diagnosis and prognosis, the potential risks and probable result of taking the medication, and feasible alternatives; Refer the individual to a consulting physician for medical confirmation of the diagnosis, prognosis, and a determination that the patient is capable and is acting voluntarily; Refer the individual for counseling, if appropriate; Inform the individual of his or her right to rescind the request for life-ending medication at any time; and Document in the individual’s medical record the procedures followed and related facts. The bill requires the physician to either dispense the medication directly to the patient or, with the patient’s consent, contact a pharmacist about the prescription and personally deliver, mail, or electronically transmit the prescription to the pharmacist, who can dispense the medication to the patient, the patient’s expressly identified agent, or the physician. A health care provider cannot discipline a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider for actions taken in good-faith compliance with the act or for refusing to act; however, a provider that has a policy prohibiting other health care providers from participating under the act while on the provider’s premises and that notifies providers of that policy may sanction a provider who violates the policy. A person who is present when a terminally ill individual self-administers by ingestion life-ending medication is not subject to criminal or civil liability for failing to prevent the patient from self-administering the medication. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, or other health care providers have no duty to participate in providing life-ending medication to a terminally ill individual. The bill specifies that life, health, or accident insurance or annuity policies cannot be affected by a terminally ill individual’s request for or ingestion of medication to end his or her life. The act does not authorize a health care provider to end an individual’s life by lethal injection, mercy killing, or active euthanasia and clarifies that a health care provider does not engage in those prohibited activities when he or she participates under the act to assist a terminally ill individual in obtaining life-ending medication. A person commits a class 2 felony if he or she: Without the permission of the terminally ill individual, willfully alters or forges a request for life-ending medication or conceals or destroys a rescission of the request; or Coerces or exerts undue influence on a terminally ill individual to request life-ending medication or to destroy a rescission of the request.
ACTIVITY: 01/27/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services FINAL ACTION: 02/06/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1135

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1162 Rep. Nordberg	BAN SEX-SELECTION ABORTIONS Concerning the prenatal sex nondiscrimination act.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill outlaws: The performance of an abortion for the purposes of sex-selection; Coercion of an abortion for the purposes of sex selection; Solicitation or acceptance of funds for the performance of an abortion for the purposes of sex selection; or Transporting a woman into Colorado so the woman can receive an abortion for the purposes of sex selection.
ACTIVITY: 01/29/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs FINAL ACTION: 03/16/2015 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postponed Indefinitely. CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1162

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1171 Rep. P. Neville Sen. T. Neville	STATE FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE PROTECTION ACT Concerning a state freedom of conscience protection act.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill: Specifies that no state action may burden a person’s exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to a person’s exercise of religion is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest; Provides a claim or defense to a person whose exercise of religion is burdened by state action; and ! Specifies that nothing in the bill creates any rights by an employee against an employer unless the employer is a government employer.
ACTIVITY: 01/29/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs FINAL ACTION: 03/09/2015 – House Committee on State Veterans & Military Affairs Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1171

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1194 Rep. KC Becker	Authorize General Fund Dollars For LARC Concerning state general fund dollars for the department of public health and environment to continue providing specified family planning services throughout the state, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.	OPPOSE
DESCRIPTION: The Colorado department of public health and environment currently administers the family planning program. Starting in 2008, the department received a multi-year grant to conduct an expanded family planning program, the primary focus of which was to expand access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and related services, particularly to low- income women statewide, in order to reduce unintended pregnancies. Grant funding for the expanded program ends June 30, 2015. The bill requires the department to continue the expanded program and appropriates $5 million from the state general fund to the department to provide LARC services in the 2015-16 fiscal year.
ACTIVITY: 01/30/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services 02/24/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Refer Unamended to Appropriations 04/02/2015 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole 04/17/2015 House Second Reading Special Order – Passed – No Amendments 04/20/2015 House Third Reading Passed – No Amendments 04/20/2015 Introduced In Senate – Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs FINAL ACTION: 04/29/2015 Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1194

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1196 Rep. Lundeen Sen. Hill	CO Flex Accounts For Education Services Concerning parent control of education expenditures for eligible students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve, and, in connection therewith, creating the “Colorado flexible lifetime learning expenditures account act”.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill creates the Colorado flexible lifetime learning expenditures account program (C-FLEX program) to enable a parent, by directing the use of public moneys deposited to a savings account (C-FLEX account), to select the educational programs and services that most effectively meet the needs of the parent’s child who is an eligible student. Many provisions apply. See bill for details
ACTIVITY: 02/02/2015 Introduced in House – Assigned to Education FINAL ACTION: 03/18/2015 House Committee on Education Postponed Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1196

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1298 Rep. Singer & Rep. Tate Sen. (None)	Warn Pregnant Women Marijuana Risks Concerning posting warning information for pregnant women about the potential risks of marijuana at marijuana businesses.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: The bill requires the department of revenue to promulgate rules regarding a requirement that a licensed medical marijuana center and a licensed retail marijuana store display in a conspicuous location a sign that warns pregnant women about the potential risks caused by marijuana. The rules shall include the specific language developed in consultation with the department of public health and environment regarding the warning that must be included on the sign. The bill prohibits a medical marijuana center and a retail marijuana store from knowingly directing marijuana advertising to pregnant women.
ACTIVITY: 03/18/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Public Health Care & Human Services 03/31/2015 House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services Refer Unamended to the House Committee of the Whole. 04/06/2015 House Second Reading Passed – No Amendments 04/07/2015 House Third Reading Passed – No Amendments 04/09/2015 Introduced In Senate – Assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology FINAL ACTION: 4/22/2015 Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Postpone Indefinitely CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1298

Bill # / Sponsor (s)	Bill Title	CCC Position
HB 15 1341 Rep.’s Conti & Fields Sen.’s Cooke & Johnston	Increase Penalty Sexual Exploitation of a Child Concerning increasing the penalty from a class 6 felony to A class 5 felony for sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material.	SUPPORT
DESCRIPTION: Currently, sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material is a class 6 felony for first-time offenses and a class 4 felony if the possession is of a video, a recording or broadcast of moving visual images, a motion picture or more than 20 different items (video or more than 20 items), or if it is a second or subsequent offense.
ACTIVITY: 04/07/2015 Introduced In House – Assigned to Judiciary 04/16/2015 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations 04/22/2015 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole 04/23/2015 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments – Committee 04/27/2015 House Third Reading Passed – No Amendments 04/27/2015 Introduced In Senate – Assigned to Judiciary + Appropriations 04/29/2015 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Appropriations 05/01/2015 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended – Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole 05/01/2015 Senate Second Reading Special Order – Passed – No Amendments 05/04/2015 Senate Third Reading Passed – No Amendments 05/14/2015 Signed by the Speaker of the House 05/18/2015 Signed by the President of the Senate 05/18/2015 Sent to the Governor FINAL ACTION: 06/04/2015 Governor Signed Into Law CLICK HERE TO READ HB 15 1341