Second Regular Session
Seventy-fourth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 24-1158.02 Brita Darling x2241
HOUSE BILL 24-1456
House Committees Senate Committees
Health & Human Services
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING TESTING FOR SYPHILIS DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD .101
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
The bill expands the existing requirement to test a person who is
pregnant for syphilis at the person's first professional visit with a
health-care provider or during the first trimester of pregnancy to also
require testing for syphilis early in the third trimester of pregnancy and at
delivery. The person who is pregnant may decline any testing.
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Marvin,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Michaelson Jenet,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds and declares that:3
(a) Syphilis is a bacterial infection that, if untreated, can progress4
to severe infection of the brain, eyes, and other body organs;5
(b) Congenital syphilis occurs when the infection is passed to a6
fetus during pregnancy and can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, severe7
congenital abnormalities, or death. The department of health care policy8
and financing estimates that the cost of care for a baby born with syphilis9
is approximately $30,000 in the baby's first year of life.10
(c) According to the federal centers for disease control and11
prevention, over ten times as many babies were born with syphilis in 202212
than in 2012, the highest number of infected babies reported in a single13
year since 1992;14
(d) Colorado has experienced a 900 percent increase in congenital15
syphilis cases since 2017, based on 2023 provisional data;16
(e) During the first quarter of 2024, there have already been 2217
reported congenital syphilis cases, including five stillbirths and two fetal18
deaths;19
(f) Congenital syphilis disproportionately impacts Hispanic and20
Black communities;21
(g) The spread of syphilis and congenital syphilis is preventable22
when caught early and treated in a timely manner with routine and23
inexpensive antibiotics like penicillin;24
(h) Currently, Colorado requires only one syphilis test during the25
prenatal period: In the first trimester or when initiating prenatal care;26
(i) Reinfection or inadequate treatment can result in a syphilis27
HB24-1456
-2- infection being present after the first trimester, putting the baby at risk of1
congenital syphilis;2
(j) Additional syphilis testing in the third trimester and at delivery3
provides additional opportunities to identify and treat an infection;4
(k) At least 17 other states require testing later in pregnancy in5
addition to testing during the first trimester, including North Carolina,6
Texas, Georgia, and Arizona, which have laws that require testing during7
the first trimester, during the third trimester, and at delivery of the baby;8
and9
(l) Therefore, to reduce the rapidly increasing rates of syphilis and10
congenital syphilis infection in Colorado, it is necessary and appropriate11
to require additional testing throughout the prenatal period, including12
during the third trimester and at delivery of the baby.13
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 25-4-201 as14
follows:15
25-4-201. Blood testing during pregnancy - HIV - syphilis.16
(1) (a) Every EACH licensed health-care provider authorized to provide17
care to a pregnant woman PERSON WHO IS PREGNANT in this state for18
conditions relating to her THE pregnancy during the period of gestation or19
at delivery shall take or cause to be taken a sample of blood of the woman20
PERSON at the time of the first professional visit or during the first21
trimester for testing pursuant to this section. The blood specimen obtained22
shall be submitted to an approved laboratory for a standard serological23
test for syphilis and HIV. Every other person permitted by law to attend24
TO A PERSON WHO IS pregnant women
in this state but not permitted by25
law to take blood samples shall cause a sample of blood of each
PERSON26
UNDER THE ATTENDANT'S CARE WHO IS pregnant woman
to be taken by a27
HB24-1456
-3- licensed health-care provider authorized to take blood samples and shall1
have the sample submitted to an approved laboratory for a standard2
serological test for syphilis and HIV. A
PERSON WHO IS pregnant woman
3
may decline to be tested as specified in this subsection (1) (1)(a), in which4
case the licensed health-care provider shall document that fact in her THE5
PERSON'S medical record.6
(b) I
N ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENT SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION7
(1)(a)
OF THIS SECTION TO TEST A PERSON WHO IS PREGNANT FOR SYPHILIS8
AT THE TIME OF THE PERSON'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL VISIT TO A LICENSED9
HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONAL OR DURING THE FIRST TRIMESTER , A10
LICENSED HEALTH-CARE PROVIDER AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE CARE TO A11
PERSON WHO IS PREGNANT SHALL TEST THE PERSON FOR SYPHILIS , IN THE12
MANNER DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(a) OF THIS SECTION, EARLY IN THE13
THIRD TRIMESTER, BETWEEN TWENTY-EIGHT AND THIRTY-TWO WEEKS14
GESTATION, AND AT DELIVERY. A PERSON MAY DECLINE TO BE TESTED AS15
SPECIFIED IN THIS SUBSECTION (1)(b), IN WHICH CASE THE LICENSED16
HEALTH-CARE PROVIDER SHALL DOCUMENT THAT FACT IN THE PERSON 'S17
MEDICAL RECORD.18
(2) If a
PERSON WHO IS pregnant woman entering
ENTERS a19
hospital for delivery
AND has not been tested for HIV AND SYPHILIS20
during her
THE pregnancy OR THERE IS NO AVAILABLE RECORD OF21
TESTING, the hospital shall notify the woman PERSON WHO IS PREGNANT22
that she THE PERSON will be tested for HIV AND SYPHILIS unless she THE23
PERSON objects and declines the test. If the woman PERSON declines to be24
tested, the hospital shall document that fact in the pregnant woman's25
PERSON'S medical record.26
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,27
HB24-1456
-4- determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate1
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for2
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state3
institutions.4
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