Second Regular Session
Seventy-fourth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 24-1178.01 Shelby Ross x4510
SENATE BILL 24-221
Senate Committees House Committees
Health & Human Services
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING FUNDING FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE , AND, IN101
CONNECTION THEREWITH , MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .102
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
.)
For the Colorado rural health-care workforce initiative (workforce
initiative), the bill authorizes the department of higher education to enter
into a limited purpose fee-for-service contract with the board of regents
of the university of Colorado for allocation to programs or institutions of
higher education to expand an existing rural track program. If an
allocation is made to a program or institution to expand an existing rural
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Roberts and Kirkmeyer, Pelton R., Rich
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Catlin and Lukens, Lynch, McLachlan
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. track program, the department of higher education shall utilize a formula
developed and revised annually by the rural program office that is based
on data that documents the program's or institution's fulfillment of certain
requirements. The bill requires the rural program office to submit a report
to the general assembly each year that includes the allocation formula
developed by the rural program office.
The bill authorizes any money not expended or encumbered from
any appropriation at the end of any fiscal year to remain available for
expenditure for the workforce initiative in the next fiscal year without
further appropriation.
The bill requires the department of health care policy and
financing to distribute money appropriated for payments to rural
hospitals.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-76.5-104, amend2
(1) as follows:3
23-76.5-104. Initiative reporting. (1) On or before November4
1, 2023, and on or before November 1 each year thereafter, the rural5
program office shall submit a report to the house of representatives6
education committee and the senate education committee, or their7
successor committees, concerning the initiative. The report must include:8
(a) Information about each institution's health-care professionals9
rural tracks, the number of students enrolled in each rural track, the10
number of students who have completed each rural track and are11
practicing in a rural or frontier county, and any other relevant data and12
information about the initiative; and
13
(b) The rural program office's analysis of the effectiveness of the14
initiative and rural tracks;
AND15
(c) T
HE ALLOCATION FORMULA DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO SECTION16
23-76.5-105 (2)(c).17
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-76.5-105, amend18
SB24-221-2- (1), (2)(a) introductory portion, and (2)(a)(VI)(A); and add (2)(c) and (3)1
as follows:2
23-76.5-105. Initiative funding - fee-for-service contracts.3
(1) Subject to available appropriations, the department of higher4
education shall enter into a limited purpose fee-for-service contract with5
the university of Colorado health sciences center pursuant to section6
23-18-308 to provide funding for the rural program office
IN THE7
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE to carry out its
THE OFFICE'S duties8
described in section 23-76.5-103. The funding for the rural program9
office may be included in a single fee-for-service contract with the10
university of Colorado health sciences center described in PURSUANT TO11
subsection (2) of this section.12
(2) (a) Subject to available appropriations, the department of13
higher education shall enter into a limited purpose fee-for-service contract14
with the governing boards of each of the following institutions, except for15
Colorado mountain college, for allocation to each program or school16
INSTITUTION listed in this subsection (2) to establish or expand an existing17
rural track pursuant to this article 76.5:18
(VI) The university of Colorado, in the following programs or19
schools:20
(A) At the health sciences center campus, in its school of dental21
medicine and in
THE RURAL PROGRAM OF its doctor of medicine program22
in the school of medicine;23
(c) S
UBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, THE DEPARTMENT OF24
HIGHER EDUCATION MAY ENTER INTO A LIMITED PURPOSE25
FEE-FOR-SERVICE CONTRACT WITH THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE26
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOR ALLOCATION TO EACH PROGRAM OR27
SB24-221
-3- INSTITUTION LISTED IN SUBSECTION (2)(a) OF THIS SECTION TO EXPAND AN1
EXISTING RURAL TRACK PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE 76.5. THE2
RURAL PROGRAM OFFICE SHALL DEVELOP A FORMULA BASED ON DATA3
THAT DOCUMENTS THE PROGRAM 'S OR INSTITUTION'S FULFILLMENT OF THE4
REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 23-76.5-102 FOR THE DEPARTMENT5
OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO USE TO MAKE ALLOCATIONS TO A PROGRAM OR6
INSTITUTION PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (2)(c). WHEN DEVELOPING7
THE ALLOCATION FORMULA , THE RURAL PROGRAM OFFICE SHALL8
CONSIDER:9
(I) T
HE PERCENTAGE OF MONEY DEDICATED TO DIRECT STUDENT10
SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND RURAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE11
DURING RURAL PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE ;12
(II) T
HE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EACH RURAL TRACK13
PROGRAM;14
(III) T
HE LENGTH OF STUDY FOR THE RURAL TRACK PROGRAM ;15
(IV) T
HE TUITION EXPENSES FOR THE RURAL TRACK PROGRAM ;16
(V) T
HE AMOUNT OF RURAL CURRICULUM PROVIDED TO STUDENTS ;17
(VI) T
HE RURAL PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS ;18
(VII) T
HE TEACHING DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEER19
RURAL PRECEPTORS; AND20
(VIII) T
HE NUMBER OF GRADUATES WHO ENTER RURAL PRACTICE .21
(3) A
NY MONEY NOT EXPENDED OR ENCUMBERED FROM ANY22
APPROPRIATION AT THE END OF ANY FISCAL YEAR REMAINS AVAILABLE23
FOR EXPENDITURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION IN THE NEXT FISCAL24
YEAR WITHOUT FURTHER APPROPRIATION .25
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 25.5-4-431 as26
follows:27
SB24-221
-4- 25.5-4-431. State payments to rural hospitals - definition.1
(1) T
HE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL DISTRIBUTE MONEY APPROPRIATED2
FOR PAYMENTS TO RURAL HOSPITALS .3
(2) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, "RURAL HOSPITAL" MEANS A4
HOSPITAL LICENSED OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO SECTION 25-1.5-1035
(1)(a)
OR AN AFFILIATE OWNED OR CONTROLLED , AS DEFINED IN SECTION6
25.5-4-402.8 (1)(c),
BY A HOSPITAL, AND THAT IS LOCATED IN A COUNTY7
WITH A POPULATION OF FEWER THAN FIFTY THOUSAND RESIDENTS OR IN A8
MUNICIPALITY WITH A POPULATION OF FEWER THAN TWENTY -FIVE9
THOUSAND RESIDENTS IF THE MUNICIPALITY IS NOT CONTI GUOUS TO A10
MUNICIPALITY WITH A POPULATION OF TWENTY -FIVE THOUSAND OR MORE11
RESIDENTS.12
SECTION 4. Appropriation. (1) For the 2024-25 state fiscal13
year, $866,667 is appropriated to the department of higher education. This14
appropriation is from the general fund. To implement this act, the15
department may use this appropriation for the college opportunity fund16
program to be used for limited purpose fee-for-service contracts with17
state institutions.18
(2) For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $866,667 is appropriated to19
the department of higher education. This appropriation is from20
reappropriated funds received from the limited purpose fee-for-service21
contracts with state institutions under subsection (1) of this section. To22
implement this act, the department may use this appropriation for the23
regents of the university of Colorado for allocation to institutions of24
higher education pursuant to section 23-76.5-105 (2)(c), C.R.S.25
(3) For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $1,742,029 is appropriated26
to the department of health care policy and financing for use by other27
SB24-221
-5- medical services. This appropriation is from the general fund. To1
implement this act, the department may use this appropriation for state2
payments to rural hospitals.3
SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,4
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate5
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for6
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state7
institutions.8
SB24-221
-6-