In this Capitol Report:
Colorado Chamber Takes Positions on Health Care, Labor & Employment Legislation
This week the Colorado Chamber of Commerce took positions on several bills in the 2021 legislative session relating to health care and employment.
The Labor and Employment Council took an “opposed” position on SB 176 regarding workplace discrimination. The Colorado Chamber raised concerns about several provisions in the draft bill with the sponsors before it was filed. Those provisions, however, remained in the bill as it was formally filed this week.
SB 176 allows for an employment discrimination claim to be filed in civil court without exhausting administrative remedies through the Colorado Civil Rights division and allows an employee to file a civil action 14 days after submitting a written demand for relief. The bill also expands the definition of employee to include independent contractors, those in domestic service, and those who perform services without pay.
The Colorado Chamber’s Health Care Council also voted on several bills this week:
HB 1198 – Oppose: Imposes a number of requirements on health care facilities and providers related to indigent patient care, reporting of data, and billing. The bill requires health care facilities to screen uninsured patients for eligibility for public health insurance programs, discounted care through the Colorado indigent care program, and other discounted care. It requires facilities to collect and report data on patients’ rights and indigent care. HB 1198 also places a number of restrictions of providers regarding debt collection.
SB 61 – Oppose: Permits a minor to bring a claim to recover damages for the minor’s pre-majority economic loss. Under the bill, a minor or a parent may not be awarded damages for any economic loss that have been awarded to another person. The bill also makes changes to the statute of limitations for minors regarding civil claims against health care institutions and professionals.
SB 85 – Support: Requires the division of insurance to perform an actuarial review of proposed legislation that may impose a new health benefit mandate on health benefit plans.
SB 123 – Oppose: Expands the Canadian prescription drug importation program to include prescription drug suppliers from nations other than Canada upon the enactment of legislation by the U.S. Congress authorizing such practice.
SB 175 – Oppose: Creates the Colorado prescription drug affordability review board as an independent unit of state government and requires the board to perform affordability reviews of prescription drugs and establish upper payment limits for prescription drugs the board determines are unaffordable for Colorado consumers.
Award-Winning Diversity Equity & Inclusion Program Offered to Colorado Business
Are you ready to talk about inclusion in your organization? Let Colorado REACH help you guide the conversation.…
The Colorado Chamber is proud to partner with Colorado REACH to offer members of the Colorado Chamber an opportunity to experience BREAKING ICE—the award-winning diversity equit
y and inclusion program for business.
Through a series of dynamic scenes, audiences explore how systemic inequities, implicit biases and common misperceptions show up in relationships and in the workplace. The performance is followed by facilitated break outs.
Chamber Members are invited to register themselves and their teams for one of three days (space is limited). Register here or contact Lauren Schwartz at the Chamber to learn how your company can get involved: (303) 866-9643
Two Dates to Choose From:
Thursday, March 25
3-4:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
Thursday, April 22
3-4:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
Colorado Chamber Member Wheels Pros Featured in ProCo360 Podcast
Randy White, CEO of Wheels Pros, spoke with the Colorado Chamber’s Dave Tabor in this week’s episode of ProCo360. The Colorado-based company has created and built 30 distinct brands of wheels that owners of Ferrari’s to lifted Jeeps to ATVs purchase for their vehicles.