2EDD12D44CDDA0238725850C0062C241 Hearing Summary

Senator Gardner, bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 20-137.  The bill requires the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to make available a waiver form that parents may use to waive provisions of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as necessary to allow school personnel to communicate with behavioral health care providers about a student's health records. The form must be available on CDE's website by July 1, 2021, and must include an explanation that signing the waiver is optional. The bill also requires that school districts, boards of cooperative educational services, and charter schools (local education providers) include a waiver form in their registration materials, and collect signed waivers at the beginning of each school year. Local education providers may develop their own waiver or use the one provided by CDE.

Senator Gardner responded to questions.

Jennifer Mello, CDE, responded to questions.

Senator Gardner requested that the bill be postponed indefinitely since CDE can accomplish the provisions of the bill without further statutory authority.