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H_HHS_2025A 03/25/2025 12:37:02 PM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Date 03/25/2025
Attendance
Bottoms X
Bradfield X
Bradley X
English X
Feret X
Garcia Sander X
Gilchrist X
Hamrick X
McCormick X
Rydin X
Stewart K. X
Lieder X
Brown X
Time 12:37:02 PM to 03:25:18 PM
Place HCR 0112
This Meeting was called to order by Brown
This Report was prepared by Eliyah Chadioun
Hearing Items Action Taken
SB25-183 Referred to House Appropriations
SB25-151 Referred to the Committee of the Whole

SB25-183 - Referred to House Appropriations

12:37:10 PM  
The primary bill
sponsors, Representatives Garcia and McCluskie, introduced Senate Bill
25-183 to the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill makes
conforming changes to state law to codify Amendment 79 by striking references
to the repealed constitutional prohibition on the use of public funds for
abortion care. This includes removing the public employers exemption from
the requirement that individual and group health benefit plans provide
coverage for the total cost of abortion care, thus codifying that public
employers are required to provide this coverage. Additionally, the bill
includes abortion care services as a covered benefit under Medicaid and
Child Health Plan Plus administered by the Department of Health Care Policy
and Financing, and requires that all services be reimbursed with state
funds only.



A handout was
provided to the committee (Attachment A).
12:45:20 PM  
The bill sponsors
responded to questions from the committee. Bill Zepernick, representing
Legislative Council Staff, responded to questions from the committee.
12:54:45 PM  
Ms. Isabel Cruz,
representing Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, testified in support
of the bill. Mariah Guerrero, representing Colorado Organization for Latina
Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, testified in support of the bill.
Dr. Elyse Katz, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.
Ms. Onnastasia Cole, representing Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault,
testified in support of the bill. Ms. Emma Pinter, representing Counties
& Commissioners Acting Together (CCAT), testified in support of the
bill. Mx. Indra Lusero, representing Elephant Circle, testified in support
of the bill.
01:10:11 PM  
Kristy Neeley, representing
themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Dr. Thomas Perille, representing
Democrats for Life of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Scott
Shamblin, representing Colorado Right To Life, testified in opposition
to the bill. Dr. Catherine Wheeler, representing themself, testified in
opposition to the bill. Jennifer Qualteri, representing themself, testified
in opposition to the bill.



A handout was
provided to the committee (Attachment B).
01:23:14 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
01:30:06 PM  
Ms. Lauren Smith,
representing Soul 2 Soul Sisters, testified in support of the bill. Ms.
Leah Audin, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Shaunti
Meyer, representing Boulder Valley Health Center, testified in support
of the bill. Melisa Hidalgo-Cuellar, representing themself, testified in
support of the bill. Ms. Allison Irias, representing themself, testified
in support of the bill. Mr. Michael Neil, representing themself, testified
in support of the bill.
01:44:50 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
01:48:07 PM  
Mrs. Brittany Vessely,
representing Colorado Catholic Conference, testified in opposition to the
bill. Giuliana Day, representing themself, testified in opposition to the
bill. Tamra Axworthy, representing themself, testified in opposition to
the bill. Mrs. Wendy Smith, representing themself, testified in opposition
to the bill. Patty McKernan, representing themself, testified in opposition
to the bill.
02:00:40 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
02:02:52 PM  
Diane Ferraro, representing
Save the Storks, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Lloyd Benes,
representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Trevor Malloy,
representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.
02:10:43 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
02:12:01 PM  
Marilyn Gore, representing
herself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Additional written
testimony was submitted to the committee (Attachment C).
02:15:05 PM  
The bill sponsors provided closing comments on the bill.
02:23:15 PM  
Members of the committee provided closing comments on the bill.


02:30:41 PM
 Motion Refer Senate Bill 25-183 to the Committee on Appropriations.
Moved Lieder
Seconded Stewart K.
Bottoms No
Bradfield No
Bradley No
English Yes
Feret Yes
Garcia Sander No
Gilchrist Yes
Hamrick Yes
McCormick Yes
Rydin Yes
Stewart K. Yes
Lieder Yes
Brown Yes
Final YES: 9   NO: 4   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS



SB25-151 - Referred to the Committee of the Whole
02:30:48 PM  
The committee was placed in a brief recess.
02:34:05 PM  
The committee came back to order.
02:34:21 PM  
The primary bill
sponsors, Representatives Froelich and Gilchrist, introduced Senate Bill
25-151 to the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill creates
measures to prevent children or youth from running away from residential
child care facilities, as described below. By July 1, 2026, each residential
child care facility must develop a policy that outlines how they respond
to a child or youth who threatens or attempts to run away. They must provide
a copy of the policy to guardians and legal counsel during intake at the
facility and notify them within four hours after discovering that a youth
is missing.
02:39:15 PM  
The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.
02:44:19 PM  
Ms. Elizabeth Montoya,
representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Stephanie
Villafuerte, representing Office of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman,
testified in support of the bill. Mahamoud Ahmed, representing Kevin Lash,
testified in support of the bill.
02:53:14 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
03:03:50 PM  
Jenelle Goodrich,
representing From Silenced To Saved (FSTS), testified in support of the
bill. Former Senator Evie Hudak, representing Colorado PTA, testified in
support of the bill. Ms. Lynette Overmeyer, representing themself, testified
in support of the bill. Benjamin Teevan, representing Fostering Colorado
and Colorado Association of Family & Children's Agencies, testified
in support of the bill.
03:12:50 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
03:13:52 PM  
Marilyn Gore, representing
themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Stephen Fisher, representing
themself, testified to amend the bill. Dennis Desparrois, representing
Colorado Department of Human Services, was available to answer committee
questions.
03:17:56 PM  
The panel responded to questions from the committee.
03:18:28 PM  
The bill sponsors provided closing comments on the bill.
03:22:37 PM  
Members of the committee provided closing comments on the bill.


03:25:12 PM
 Motion Refer Senate Bill 25-151 to the Committee of the Whole.
Moved Gilchrist
Seconded Hamrick
Bottoms Yes
Bradfield Yes
Bradley Yes
English Yes
Feret Yes
Garcia Sander Yes
Gilchrist Yes
Hamrick Yes
McCormick Yes
Rydin Yes
Stewart K. Yes
Lieder Yes
Brown Yes
Final YES: 13   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS


03:25:18 PM   The committee adjourned.






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