SENATE BILL 24-221
BY SENATOR(S) Roberts and Kirkmeyer, Pelton R., Rich, Bridges,
Buckner, Cutter, Exum, Fields, Ginal, Hinrichsen, Jaquez Lewis, Liston,
Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Priola, Simpson, Will, Zenzinger,
Fenberg;
also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Catlin and Lukens, Lynch, McLachlan,
Amabile, Armagost, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, Daugherty,
deGruy Kennedy, Duran, English, Hamrick, Jodeh, Joseph, Kipp, Lieder,
Lindsay, Martinez, Mauro, McCormick, Ricks, Rutinel, Snyder, Soper,
Story, Titone, Velasco, Vigil, Weissman, Winter T., Young, McCluskie
.
C
ONCERNING FUNDING FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE , AND, IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH
, MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-76.5-104, amend
(1) as follows:
23-76.5-104. Initiative reporting. (1) On or before November 1,
2023, and on or before November 1 each year thereafter, the rural program
office shall submit a report to the house of representatives education
committee and the senate education committee, or their successor
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act. committees, concerning the initiative. The report must include:
(a) Information about each institution's health-care professionals
rural tracks, the number of students enrolled in each rural track, the number
of students who have completed each rural track and are practicing in a
rural or frontier county, and any other relevant data and information about
the initiative; and
(b) The rural program office's analysis of the effectiveness of the
initiative and rural tracks;
AND
(c) THE ALLOCATION FORMULA DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO SECTION
23-76.5-105 (2)(c).
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-76.5-105, amend
(1), (2)(a) introductory portion, and (2)(a)(VI)(A); and add (2)(c) and (3)
as follows:
23-76.5-105. Initiative funding - fee-for-service contracts.
(1) Subject to available appropriations, the department of higher education
shall enter into a limited purpose fee-for-service contract with the university
of Colorado health sciences center pursuant to section 23-18-308 to provide
funding for the rural program office
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY
MEDICINE
to carry out its
THE OFFICE'S duties described in section
23-76.5-103. The funding for the rural program office may be included in
a single fee-for-service contract with the university of Colorado health
sciences center described in
PURSUANT TO subsection (2) of this section.
(2) (a) Subject to available appropriations, the department of higher
education shall enter into a limited purpose fee-for-service contract with the
governing boards of each of the following institutions, except for Colorado
mountain college, for allocation to each program or school
INSTITUTION
listed in this subsection (2) to establish or expand an existing rural track
pursuant to this article 76.5:
(VI) The university of Colorado, in the following programs or
schools:
(A) At the health sciences center campus, in its school of dental
medicine and in
THE RURAL PROGRAM OF its doctor of medicine program in
PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 24-221 the school of medicine;
(c) S
UBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS , THE DEPARTMENT OF
HIGHER EDUCATION MAY ENTER INTO A LIMITED PURPOSE FEE
-FOR-SERVICE
CONTRACT WITH THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
COLORADO
FOR ALLOCATION TO EACH PROGRAM OR INSTITUTION LISTED IN SUBSECTION
(2)(a) OF THIS SECTION TO EXPAND AN EXISTING RURAL TRACK PROGRAM
PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE
76.5. THE RURAL PROGRAM OFFICE , IN
COLLABORATION WITH THE INSTITUTIONS
, SHALL DEVELOP A FORMULA
BASED ON DATA THAT DOCUMENTS THE PROGRAM
'S OR INSTITUTION'S
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN SECTION
23-76.5-102 FOR
THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO USE TO MAKE ALLOCATIONS TO
A PROGRAM OR INSTITUTION PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION
(2)(c). WHEN
DEVELOPING THE ALLOCATION FORMULA
, THE RURAL PROGRAM OFFICE
SHALL CONSIDER
:
(I) T
HE PERCENTAGE OF MONEY DEDICATED TO DIRECT STUDENT
SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND RURAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE
DURING RURAL PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
;
(II) T
HE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EACH RURAL TRACK
PROGRAM
;
(III) T
HE LENGTH OF STUDY FOR THE RURAL TRACK PROGRAM ;
(IV) T
HE TUITION EXPENSES FOR THE RURAL TRACK PROGRAM ;
(V) T
HE AMOUNT OF RURAL CURRICULUM PROVIDED TO STUDENTS ;
(VI) T
HE RURAL PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS ;
(VII) T
HE TEACHING DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEER
RURAL PRECEPTORS
; AND
(VIII) THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES WHO ENTER RURAL PRACTICE .
(3) A
NY MONEY NOT EXPENDED OR ENCUMBERED FROM ANY
APPROPRIATION AT THE END OF ANY FISCAL YEAR REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR
EXPENDITURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR
WITHOUT FURTHER APPROPRIATION
.
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 24-221 SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 25.5-4-433 as
follows:
25.5-4-433. Rural hospital cash fund - creation - definition.
(1) T
HE RURAL HOSPITAL CASH FUND IS CREATED IN THE STATE TREASURY
AND IS REFERRED TO IN THIS SECTION AS THE
"FUND". THE FUND CONSISTS
OF MONEY CREDITED TO THE FUND AND ANY OTHER MONEY THAT THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY APPROPRIATE OR TRANSFER TO THE FUND
.
(2) T
HE STATE TREASURER SHALL CREDIT ALL INTEREST AND INCOME
DERIVED FROM THE DEPOSIT AND INVESTMENT OF MONEY IN THE FUND TO
THE FUND
.
(3) M
ONEY IN THE FUND IS CONTINUOUSLY APPROPRIATED TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE POLICY AND FINANCING FOR THE PURPOSE OF
DISTRIBUTING MONEY IN EQUAL AMOUNTS TO RURAL HOSPITALS
.
(4) O
N JULY 1, 2024, THE STATE TREASURER SHALL TRANSFER ONE
MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY
-TWO THOUSAND TWENTY -NINE DOLLARS
FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE FUND
.
(5) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, "RURAL HOSPITAL" MEANS A HOSPITAL
LICENSED OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO SECTION
25-1.5-103 (1)(a) OR AN
AFFILIATE OWNED OR CONTROLLED
, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 25.5-4-402.8
(1)(c),
BY A HOSPITAL, AND THAT IS LOCATED IN A COUNTY WITH A
POPULATION OF FEWER THAN FIFTY THOUSAND RESIDENTS OR IN A
MUNICIPALITY WITH A POPULATION OF FEWER THAN TWENTY
-FIVE
THOUSAND RESIDENTS IF THE MUNICIPALITY IS NOT CONTIGUOUS TO A
MUNICIPALITY WITH A POPULATION OF TWENTY
-FIVE THOUSAND OR MORE
RESIDENTS
.
SECTION 4. Appropriation. (1) For the 2024-25 state fiscal year,
$866,667 is appropriated to the department of higher education. This
appropriation is from the general fund. To implement this act, the
department may use this appropriation for the college opportunity fund
program to be used for limited purpose fee-for-service contracts with state
institutions.
(2) For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $866,667 is appropriated to the
department of higher education. This appropriation is from reappropriated
PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 24-221 funds received from the limited purpose fee-for-service contracts with state
institutions under subsection (1) of this section. To implement this act, the
department may use this appropriation for the regents of the university of
Colorado for allocation to institutions of higher education pursuant to
section 23-76.5-105 (2)(c), C.R.S.
SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
PAGE 5-SENATE BILL 24-221 the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
institutions.
____________________________ ____________________________
Steve Fenberg
Julie McCluskie
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________ ____________________________
Cindi L. Markwell Robin Jones
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 6-SENATE BILL 24-221