The Colorado Chamber Tax and Health Care Councils both recently met to discuss upcoming bills, take positions and receive updates on other legislation.
Representative Marc Snyder, Chair of the House Finance Committee, joined the Tax Council last Friday to discuss the tax landscape and his expectations for the session. Rep. Snyder served a 12-year tenure on the Manitou Springs City Council, from which he retired in January 2016. He has served in the House of Representatives since then and has been Chair of the House Finance Committee since 2022.
Representative Lindsey Daughtery joined the Health Care Council to discuss her priorities as the Chair of the Health & Insurance Committee. Rep. Daughtery was elected to the Colorado State Legislature in 2020 and serves on the Committee on Legal Services.
The Colorado Chamber took positions on the following bills:
Tax Council Positions:
SB 024: Monitor to Support
The bill requires local taxing jurisdictions, including home rules, to apply the same standards to accommodations intermediaries as they do to marketplace facilitators. The Chamber has changed our position on the bill from “monitor” to “support” after receiving feedback from our members about the positive impact this bill will have on business.
SB 085: Support
The bill allows eligible data centers to claim a sale and use tax rebate on construction materials and equipment.
HB 1116: Support
The bill extends a tax credit for approved environmental remediation of contaminated property for an additional 10 years, making it available until January 1, 2035.
Health Care Council Positions:
HB-1025: Oppose
The bill intends to implement mandated coverage of fertility diagnosis and treatment and fertility preservation services to small plans. The Chamber took an opposed position to the bill due to the lack of actuarial analysis and the possible increase of cost the bill would impose on businesses.
HB-1149: Amend
The bill requires carriers, private utilization review organizations, and PBMs for certain health-care services and prescription drug benefits covered under a health benefit plan to adopt a program, in consultation with participating providers, to eliminate or substantially modify prior authorization requirements in a manner that removes administrative burdens on qualified providers. The Chamber took an amend position to the bill in the hope of making improvements to the bill to better support the business community.
SB-054: Oppose
The bill requires all private insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment of the chronic disease of obesity and the treatment of pre-diabetes, including coverage for intensive behavioral or lifestyle therapy, bariatric surgery and FDA-approved anti-obesity medication. The bill mandates the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to secure federal authorization for treating chronic obesity and pre-diabetes, subsequently requiring written notification to Medicaid members upon obtaining such authorization. The Chamber is opposed to the bill due to the increased costs it would place on both the state and the health care system.
SB-073: Support
Current law defines a small employer eligible for a small group health benefit plan as an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, or association that employs between one and 100 employees. The bill reduces the upper threshold to 50 employees on January 1, 2026.