First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 25-0405.01 Renee Leone x2695
SENATE BILL 25-186
Senate Committees House Committees
Business, Labor, & Technology
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING THE CONTINUAT ION OF THE WORKERS ' COMPENSATION101
ACCREDITATION OF HEALTH -CARE PROVIDERS PROGRAM , AND,102
IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , IMPLEMENTING THE103
RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE 2024 SUNSET REPORT104
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF RE GULATORY AGENCIES AND MAKING
105
AN APPROPRIATION.106
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/
.)
Sunset Process - Senate Business, Labor, and Technology
SENATE
Amended 3rd Reading
April 17, 2025
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 15, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Winter F. and Ball, Liston, Bridges, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Michaelson
Jenet, Sullivan, Wallace
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hamrick and Lieder,
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. Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department
of regulatory agencies (department) in its 2024 sunset review of the
workers' compensation accreditation of health-care providers program
(program), including extending the program for 11 years to September 1,
2036, and authorizing any health-care professional regulated by the
division of professions and occupations in the department who provides
treatment in the workers' compensation system to obtain level I
accreditation from the division of workers' compensation in the
department of labor and employment.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 8-42-101, amend2
(3.5)(a)(I)(A), (3.5)(a)(I)(E),
(3.5)(c)(I), and (3.6)(r)(I) as follows:3
8-42-101. Employer must furnish medical aid - approval of4
plan - fee schedule - contracting for treatment - no recovery from5
employee - medical treatment guidelines - accreditation of physicians6
and other medical providers - mental health provider qualifications7
- mileage reimbursement - rules - definition - repeal.8
(3.5) (a) (I) (A) "Physician" means, for the purposes of the level I and9
level II accreditation programs, a physician licensed under the "Colorado10
Medical Practice Act",
ARTICLE 240 OF TITLE 12. For the purposes of level11
I accreditation only and not level II accreditation, "physician" means a12
dentist licensed under the "Dental Practice Act", article 220 of title 12; a13
podiatrist licensed under article 290 of title 12; and
AN OPTOMETRIST14
LICENSED UNDER ARTICLE 275 OF TITLE 12; a chiropractor licensed under15
article 215 of title 12;
OR ANY OTHER HEALTH -CARE PROFESSIONAL16
REGULATED PURSUANT TO TITLE 12 AND LISTED IN THE UTILIZATION
17
STANDARDS ESTABLISHED IN RULES ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION18
(3.5)(a)(II)
OF THIS SECTION
WHO PROVIDES TREATMENT IN THE WORKERS '19
COMPENSATION SYSTEM .20
186-2- (E) Nothing in this subsection (3.5)(a) grants any person other1
than a physician licensed under the "Colorado Medical Practice Act",2
ARTICLE 240 OF TITLE 12, the authority to determine that no permanent3
medical impairment has resulted from the injury pursuant to subsection4
(3.6)(b) of this section or that a claimant has attained maximum medical5
improvement pursuant to section 8-42-107 (8)(b)(I).6
(c) (I) This subsection (3.5) is repealed, effective September 1,7
2025 SEPTEMBER 1, 2036.8
(3.6) The two-tier accreditation system shall comprise the9
following programs:10
(r) (I) This subsection (3.6) is repealed, effective September 1,11
2025 SEPTEMBER 1, 2036.12
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-34-104, repeal13
(26)(a)(II); and add (37) as follows:14
24-34-104. General assembly review of regulatory agencies15
and functions for repeal, continuation, or reestablishment - legislative16
declaration - repeal. (26) (a) The following agencies, functions, or both,17
are scheduled for repeal on September 1, 2025:18
(II) The accreditation of health-care providers under the workers'19
compensation system in accordance with section 8-42-101 (3.5) and (3.6),20
C.R.S.;21
(37) (a) T
HE FOLLOWING AGENCIES, FUNCTIONS, OR BOTH, ARE22
SCHEDULED FOR REPEAL ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2036:23
(I) T
HE ACCREDITATION OF HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS UNDER THE24
WORKERS' COMPENSATION SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION25
8-42-101
(3.5) AND (3.6).26
(b) T
HIS SUBSECTION (37) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1,27
186
-3- 2038.1
SECTION 3. Appropriation. (1) For the 2025-26 state fiscal2
year, $123,933 is appropriated to the department of labor and employment3
for use by the division of workers' compensation. This appropriation is4
from the workers' compensation cash fund created in section 8-44-1125
(7)(a), C.R.S. To implement this act, the division may use this6
appropriation as follows:7
(a) $108,545 for personal services, which amount is based on an8
assumption that the division will require an additional 1.6 FTE; and9
(b) $15,388 for operating expenses.10
SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act11
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the12
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except13
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V14
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this15
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take16
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in17
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the18
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.19
186
-4-