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April 4, 2022 SB 22-172
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Fiscal Note
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 22-0909
Sen. Winter; Rankin
Rep. Roberts; Rich
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
April 4, 2022
Senate HHS
Josh Abram | 303-866-3561
Josh.Abram@state.co.us
Bill Topic: COLORADO RURAL HEALTH -CARE WORKFORCE INITIATIVE
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☐ Local Government
☐ Statutory Public Entity
The bill establishes the Colorado Rural Health-Care Workforce Initiative to expand the
number of health-care professionals practicing in rural or frontier counties. The bill
increases state expenditures beginning FY 2022-23
Appropriation
Summary:
For FY 2022-23, the bill requires appropriations totaling $4,950,000 to multiple
institutions of higher education.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts Under SB 22-172
Budget Year
FY 2022-23
Out Year
FY 2023-24
Revenue - -
Expenditures General Fund $4,950,000 $150,000
Transfers - -
Other Budget Impacts General Fund Reserve $742,500 $22,500
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April 4, 2022 SB 22-172
Summary of Legislation
The bill establishes the Colorado Rural Health-Care Workforce Initiative to expand the number of
health-care professionals practicing in rural or frontier counties. The bill permits an institution of
higher education to establish a health-care professional rural track, or expand an existing rural track,
within specified health care degree programs at the schools. The bill specifies required components
of a rural track program, including outreach campaigns, scholarships, didactic curriculum, and
clinical experience.
Institutions may use funding for faculty compensation, housing costs for participating students,
training preceptors who practice in rural counties, and student scholarships. Students receiving a
scholarship must commit to working as a health-care provider in rural areas for two years after
completing their credential.
Schools receiving funding must report how the school intends to use the funding to establish or
expand a rural track to the Rural Program Office (the office) at the University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center . The office must provide assistance to the institutions with recruitment, admissions,
housing support, clinical instruction, and other technical or administrative needs of operating a rural
track. The office must establish metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative and the rural
tracks, and prepare and submit an annual progress report to the General Assembly.
The bill requires that the General Assembly annually appropriate $150,000 to the University of
Colorado Health Sciences Center for the Rural Programs Office to help administer the initiative. For
FY 2022-23 only, the General Assembly must appropriate up to $400,000 to the following 12 programs
at state supported institutions of higher education:
Adams State University, in its nursing program;
Colorado Mesa University, in its nursing program;
Colorado School of Public Health, in its master of public health program (CU, CSU, UNC);
Colorado State University - Pueblo, in its school of nursing;
Metropolitan State University of Denver, in its nursing program;
University of Colorado, in its school of dental medicine;
University of Colorado, in its school of medicine;
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus, in its nursing program;
University of Northern Colorado, in its school of nursing;
Western Colorado University, in its master of behavioral science in rural community health
program;
Front Range Community College, in its nursing program; and
Otero College, in its nursing program.
State Expenditures
The bill increases state expenditures by $4,950,000 in FY 2022-23, and by $150,000 in FY 2023-24 from
the General Fund. Each named institution is provided one-time funding of $400,000 in FY 2022-23 to
establish and operate a rural track program, with assistance from the Rural Program Office.
Expenditures in the office are $150,000 annually. Each appropriation will be spent by schools in
different ways to implement the initiative. Schools that operate a rural track must use 40 percent of Page 3
April 4, 2022 SB 22-172
funding receivedfor student scholarships. Other expenses include housing assistance and faculty and
preceptor compensation. No detail was provided by the Department of Higher Education or from
affected schools allowing more detailed descriptions. This fiscal note will be updated if more
information becomes available.
Other Budget Impacts
General Fund reserve. Under current law, an amount equal to 15 percent of General Fund
appropriations must be set aside in the General Fund statutory reserve beginning in FY 2022-23. Based
on this fiscal note, the bill is expected to increase the amount of General Fund held in reserve by the
amounts shown in Table 1, which will decrease the amount of General Fund available for other
purposes.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect upon signature of the Governor, or upon becoming law without his signature.
State Appropriations
For FY 2022-23, the bill requires the following appropriations totaling $4,950,000 from the General
Fund:
$150,000 to University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Rural Programs Office;
$400,000 to Adams State University;
$400,000 to Colorado Mesa University;
$400,000 to University of Colorado for allocation to the tri-institutional Colorado School of Public
Health (CU, CSU, UNC);
$400,000 to Colorado State University - Pueblo;
$400,000 to Metropolitan State University of Denver;
$400,000 to University of Colorado, for its school of dental medicine;
$400,000 to University of Colorado, for its school of medicine;
$400,000 to University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus;
$400,000 to University of Northern Colorado;
$400,000 to Western Colorado University;
$400,000 to Front Range Community College; and
$400,000 to Otero College.
State and Local Government Contacts
Higher Education
The revenue and expenditure impacts in this fiscal note represent changes from current law under the bill for each
fiscal year. For additional information about fiscal notes, please visit: leg.colorado.gov/fiscalnotes.