25-6-104. Department of public health and environment - family planning access collaborative - legislative declaration - recommendations - funding - repeal.

Statute text

(1) (a) The general assembly finds and declares that, according to a 2019 report by the Colorado department of public health and environment, referred to in this section as the "department", in 2019, there were ninety-three thousand three hundred Coloradans without access to family planning services, including fifty-eight thousand Coloradans who were uninsured and thirty-five thousand three hundred who were insured but not using their family planning coverage primarily due to fear of breaches in confidentiality.

(b) The general assembly further finds that there have since been important expansions in access, including a state plan amendment to expand income eligibility for services, the creation of coverage programs for undocumented individuals, expansions of commercial and medicaid insurance coverage, and increased family planning funding. However, persistent gaps in access remain.

(2) The department shall convene a family planning access collaborative to coordinate with the department to advise the department in identifying access gaps that contribute to approximately ninety-three thousand Coloradans lacking family planning access, including, but not limited to:

(a) Privacy and confidentiality concerns;

(b) Gaps in existing family planning programs;

(c) Geographic barriers and rural access;

(d) Ability of adolescents to access care and services;

(e) Funding for services; and

(f) Identification of legislative, regulatory, and funding strategies to close access gaps identified by the collaborative.

(3) The department shall invite representatives with relevant expertise in the provision of, funding of, and advocacy for family planning services to participate in the collaborative.

(4) The department shall convene the family planning access collaborative on or before September 1, 2023.

(5) On or before December 15, 2023, the collaborative shall publish recommendations informed by the gaps identified in subsection (2) of this section.

(6) For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate two hundred thousand dollars from the general fund to the department for the purposes of this section.

(7) The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.

(8) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2024.

History

Source: L. 2023: Entire section added, (SB 23-189), ch. 69, p. 261, 11, effective April 14.

PART 2
FAMILY PLANNING AND BIRTH CONTROL