A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning requirements for health-care practitioner
Page 1, Line 102identification.
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.)
The bill creates the "Know Your Health-Care Practitioner Act" (act), requiring a health-care practitioner (practitioner) practicing in a health-care profession or occupation specified in the "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010" to:
- In advertising health-care services using the practitioner's name, identify the type of state-issued license, certificate, or registration held by the practitioner and ensure that the advertisement is free from deceptive or misleading information;
- Affirmatively display the practitioner's specific state-issued license, certificate, or registration, without the use of abbreviations, on an identification name tag; and
- When establishing a practitioner-patient relationship, and as necessary to facilitate patient understanding, verbally communicate to the patient the practitioner's specific state-issued license, certificate, or registration.
A practitioner practicing at a facility that follows the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards and who is in compliance with a facility policy that requires wearing visible identification containing the practitioner's license, certificate, or registration satisfies the requirement to use an identification name tag.
The act allows a practitioner to conceal or omit the practitioner's name in certain circumstances relating to the practitioner's safety.
The act does not apply to a practitioner who works in a non-patient-care setting or who does not have any direct patient care interactions or when clinically not feasible.
A violation of the act does not create a private right of action.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. Short title. The short title of this act is the "Know Your Health-Care Practitioner Act".
Page 2, Line 3SECTION 2. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
Page 2, Line 4(a) Health-care practitioners possess distinct and specialized
Page 2, Line 5education, training, and expertise in their respective fields of practice.
Page 2, Line 6These differences often reflect the training and skills necessary to
Page 2, Line 7correctly detect, diagnose, prevent, and treat serious health-care conditions.
Page 2, Line 8(b) Different health-care practitioners play important roles within
Page 2, Line 9modern team-based patient care, contributing their respective skills and
Page 2, Line 10knowledge to support comprehensive delivery of health-care services;
Page 3, Line 1(c) The commitment of health-care practitioners to patient welfare
Page 3, Line 2and safety, coupled with their substantial investment in education, clinical
Page 3, Line 3training, and accumulated professional experience, warrants prompt and transparent recognition within the health-care delivery system;
Page 3, Line 4(d) The increasing complexity of delivering modern health-care
Page 3, Line 5services, combined with the variety of professional degrees, titles, and
Page 3, Line 6designations used in clinical settings, can create confusion among patients
Page 3, Line 7regarding the specific education, training, and qualifications of those providing their care;
Page 3, Line 8(e) Clear identification and acknowledgment of a health-care
Page 3, Line 9practitioner's license, certificate, or registration and role serves the public
Page 3, Line 10interest by fostering transparency, building trust in patient-practitioner relationships, and promoting informed decision-making in health care;
Page 3, Line 11(f) There is a compelling state interest in patients being promptly
Page 3, Line 12and clearly informed, in certain circumstances, of the training and
Page 3, Line 13qualifications of the health-care practitioners who provide health-care services; and
Page 3, Line 14(g) There is a compelling state interest in protecting the public
Page 3, Line 15from potentially misleading and deceptive health-care advertising that
Page 3, Line 16might cause patients to have undue expectations regarding their treatment and outcomes.
Page 3, Line 17SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-30-102, add (8.5) as follows:
Page 3, Line 1812-30-102. Medical transparency act of 2010 - disclosure of
Page 3, Line 19information about health-care providers - fines - rules - short title -
Page 3, Line 20legislative declaration - review of functions - definitions - repeal.
Page 3, Line 21(8.5) Point-of-service disclosure requirements - definitions. (a) As
Page 4, Line 1used in this subsection (8.5), unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 4, Line 2(I) "Advertisement" means any communication or
Page 4, Line 3statement used in the course of business, whether printed,
Page 4, Line 4electronic, or verbal, that names a health-care practitioner in
Page 4, Line 5relation to the practice, profession, or institution in which the
Page 4, Line 6practitioner is employed, volunteers, or otherwise provides
Page 4, Line 7health-care services. "Advertisement" includes business cards,
Page 4, Line 8letterhead, patient brochures, signage, email, internet
Page 4, Line 9advertising, audio and video, and any other communication or statement used in the course of business.
Page 4, Line 10(II) "Deceptive or misleading" means any advertisement or
Page 4, Line 11affirmative communication or representation that misstates,
Page 4, Line 12falsely describes, falsely represents, or falsely details a
Page 4, Line 13health-care practitioner's profession, occupation, skills,
Page 4, Line 14training, expertise, education, board certification, or credential.
Page 4, Line 15(III) "Health-care practitioner" or "practitioner" means
Page 4, Line 16an individual who practices a profession or occupation specified in subsection (3)(a) of this section.
Page 4, Line 17(b) On and after June 1, 2026, an advertisement for
Page 4, Line 18health-care services that identifies a health-care practitioner
Page 4, Line 19by name must identify the type of state-issued license,
Page 4, Line 20certificate, or registration held by the practitioner. The
Page 4, Line 21advertisement must not include any deceptive or misleading information.
Page 4, Line 22(c) (I) Except as provided in this subsection (8.5)(c)(I) and
Page 5, Line 1subsection (8.5)(e) of this section, on and after June 1, 2026, a
Page 5, Line 2health-care practitioner shall affirmatively display an
Page 5, Line 3identification name tag or similar worn display of a sufficient
Page 5, Line 4size that is worn in a conspicuous manner so as to be visible
Page 5, Line 5and apparent during patient encounters. A health-care
Page 5, Line 6practitioner at a facility that follows the Joint Commission on
Page 5, Line 7Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards, or those
Page 5, Line 8of an alternative facility accrediting organization with
Page 5, Line 9substantially similar standards, satisfies the requirements of this subsection (8.5)(c)(I).
Page 5, Line 10(II) The identification requirements of subsection
Page 5, Line 11(8.5)(c)(I) of this section only apply to health-care practitioners
Page 5, Line 12providing services in a general hospital licensed or certified by
Page 5, Line 13the department of public health and environment pursuant to
Page 5, Line 14section 25-1.5-103 (1)(a), an urgent care center, an ambulatory
Page 5, Line 15surgical center licensed pursuant to part 1 of article 3 of title
Page 5, Line 1625, or a freestanding emergency department, as defined in section 25-1.5-114.
Page 5, Line 17(d) When establishing a practitioner-patient relationship,
Page 5, Line 18 to facilitate patient understanding, unless emergent
Page 5, Line 19circumstances make it impracticable, a health-care
Page 5, Line 20practitioner, on first encounter with the patient, shall verbally
Page 5, Line 21communicate to the patient the practitioner's state-issued
Page 5, Line 22license, certificate, or registration or shall verbally identify
Page 5, Line 23themselves by a title or abbreviation authorized in statute for the practitioner.
Page 5, Line 24(e) The name of a health-care practitioner may be
Page 6, Line 1concealed or omitted when the practitioner is concerned for
Page 6, Line 2their safety, when wearing identification would jeopardize the
Page 6, Line 3practitioner's safety, or when the practitioner is delivering
Page 6, Line 4direct care to a patient who exhibits signs of irrationality or violence.
Page 6, Line 5(f) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection (8.5)
Page 6, Line 6to the contrary, a practitioner may use supplemental descriptors or titles, so long as:
Page 6, Line 7(I) The practitioner clearly identifies in the same
Page 6, Line 8advertisement or encounter the specific state-issued license,
Page 6, Line 9certificate, or registration held, or, for a verbal first
Page 6, Line 10encounter with a patient, the specific license, certificate, or
Page 6, Line 11registration held, or uses an abbreviation authorized in statute; and
Page 6, Line 12(II) Any supplemental descriptor or title used accurately
Page 6, Line 13reflects the practitioner's scope of practice, field of
Page 6, Line 14specialization, or nationally recognized terminology associated with the practitioner's professional role.
Page 6, Line 15(g) This subsection (8.5) does not apply:
Page 6, Line 16(I) To a health-care practitioner who works in a
Page 6, Line 17non-patient-care setting or who does not have any direct patient care interactions; or
Page 6, Line 18(II) When clinically not feasible.
Page 6, Line 19(h) A violation of this subsection (8.5) does not create a private right of action.
Page 6, Line 20(i) Notwithstanding subsection (9)(a) of this section, the
Page 6, Line 21director shall not impose a fine that exceeds five hundred
Page 7, Line 1dollars for a violation of this subsection (8.5). The director is
Page 7, Line 2encouraged to consider other corrective action before imposing a fine in the maximum amount.
Page 7, Line 3SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date -
Page 7, Line 4applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following
Page 7, Line 5the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the
Page 7, Line 6general assembly; except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant
Page 7, Line 7to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an
Page 7, Line 8item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item,
Page 7, Line 9section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the
Page 7, Line 10general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take
Page 7, Line 11effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
Page 7, Line 12(2) This act applies to actions taken on or after the applicable effective date of this act.