A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning capital needs of rural and frontier hospitals,
Page 1, Line 102and, in connection therewith, directing the department
Page 1, Line 103of public health and environment to conduct a study
Page 1, Line 104and creating a task force to oversee the study.
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 directs the department of public health and environment (department) to conduct a study of capital needs for rural and frontier hospitals throughout the state. Specifically, the study must measure the number of studied facilities that are not compliant with current and relevant design and building code standards for health-care facilities, identify the age of core facilities and any additions to them, and estimate costs for renovating or replacing facilities identified as having capital needs. By June 30, 2026, the department must complete the study and compile the results of the study into a report. The report must be presented to the respective health and human services committees of the senate and house of representatives.
The bill also creates the rural and frontier hospital capital needs study task force (task force). The task force is made up of the following 7 members who must be appointed on or before August 1, 2025:
- 3 members who work in rural or frontier hospitals;
- One member who is an architect professional;
- One member who is a construction contractor professional;
- One member who represents hospitals; and
- One member of the general public who lives in a rural area or frontier area.
The task force is responsible for developing and approving the parameters of the study and overseeing the study and the report. The task force may also facilitate contracting with a private sector consulting company to assist with data compilation, research, and outreach to rural and frontier hospitals. The task force is required to hold its first meeting by October 1, 2025, and meet at least quarterly after the first meeting until the study and the report are complete.
The study and the requirements imposed on the department, the task force, and any third-party entity in connection with the study are contingent upon money being available through gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of conducting the study.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 25-3-132 as follows:
Page 2, Line 325-3-132. Rural and frontier hospital capital needs study -
Page 2, Line 4task force - creation - report - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
Page 2, Line 5(a) Many of Colorado's rural and frontier hospitals
Page 2, Line 6operate in outdated facilities, and some facilities have not had
Page 2, Line 7any meaningful upgrades for decades;
Page 3, Line 1(b) These hospitals struggle with the increased
Page 3, Line 2maintenance costs necessary to keep facilities operational and
Page 3, Line 3are falling behind in being able to provide care that is consistent with current standards; and
Page 3, Line 4(c) An informal study conducted by Colorado Rural
Page 3, Line 5Futures, a group of chief executive officers of Colorado rural
Page 3, Line 6and frontier hospitals, identified approximately five hundred
Page 3, Line 7million dollars in needed upgrades for facilities of hospitals
Page 3, Line 8that were responsive to the informal study, but the capital
Page 3, Line 9needs of rural and frontier hospitals throughout the state could require an investment of as much as one billion dollars.
Page 3, Line 10(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 12(a) "Frontier area" means a county in the state that has
Page 3, Line 13a population density of six or fewer individuals per one square mile.
Page 3, Line 14(b) "Rural and frontier hospital" means a hospital that is
Page 3, Line 15licensed as a general or critical access hospital by the department and that operates in a rural area or a frontier area.
Page 3, Line 16(c) "Rural area" means an area listed as eligible for rural health funding by the federal office of rural health policy.
Page 3, Line 17(d) "Study" means the study required pursuant to this section.
Page 3, Line 18(e) "Task force" means the rural and frontier hospital
Page 3, Line 19capital needs study task force created in subsection (4)(a) of
Page 3, Line 20this section.
Page 4, Line 1(3) Subject to oversight by the task force, the department
Page 4, Line 2shall study or shall contract for a study to evaluate the
Page 4, Line 3capital needs of Colorado rural and frontier hospitals. The study must:
Page 4, Line 4(a) Objectively measure the number of studied facilities
Page 4, Line 5that are not code compliant in accordance with the current and
Page 4, Line 6relevant edition of the Facility Guidelines Institute "Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities";
Page 4, Line 7(b) Identify the age of core facilities and additions that have been made to such buildings;
Page 4, Line 8(c) Evaluate estimated project cost, including
Page 4, Line 9construction costs and relevant planning, design, and
Page 4, Line 10engineering costs, per square foot to renovate or replace facilities identified as having capital needs;
Page 4, Line 11(d) Make a reasonable estimate of the total cost of
Page 4, Line 12capital needs per facility and the aggregate total cost of capital needs for all facilities identified in the study; and
Page 4, Line 13(e) Review or evaluate any other matters concerning
Page 4, Line 14capital needs of rural and frontier hospitals that are requested by the task force.
Page 4, Line 15(4) (a) (I) There is created the rural and frontier hospital
Page 4, Line 16capital needs study task force for the purposes of developing
Page 4, Line 17and approving the parameters of the study and overseeing the study and the report of the results of the study.
Page 4, Line 18(II) In addition to the purpose of the task force set forth
Page 4, Line 19in subsection (4)(a)(I) of this section, the task force may
Page 4, Line 20facilitate contracting with a private sector consulting
Page 5, Line 1company to assist with data compilation, research, and
Page 5, Line 2outreach to rural and frontier hospitals. The task force may
Page 5, Line 3establish the frequency that the task force wants the company to report back to the task force.
Page 5, Line 4(b) (I) Subject to subsection (4)(b)(II) of this section, no
Page 5, Line 5later than two months after sufficient funding has been secured
Page 5, Line 6in accordance with subsection (6)(a) of this section, members shall be appointed to the task force as follows:
Page 5, Line 7(A) The governor shall appoint three members; and
Page 5, Line 8(B) The president of the senate, the speaker of the house
Page 5, Line 9of representatives, the minority leader of the senate, and the
Page 5, Line 10minority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint one member each.
Page 5, Line 11(II) The composition of members appointed to the task force must be as follows:
Page 5, Line 12(A) Three members who work in rural or frontier hospitals;
Page 5, Line 13(B) One member who works as an architect professional;
Page 5, Line 14(C) One member who works as a construction contractor professional;
Page 5, Line 15(D) One member who represents hospitals; and
Page 5, Line 16(E) One member of the general public who lives in a rural area or frontier area.
Page 5, Line 17(c) The task force shall hold its first meeting within two
Page 5, Line 18months of all appointments being made to the task force
Page 5, Line 19pursuant to subsection (4)(b) of this section, and meet at least
Page 5, Line 20quarterly after its first meeting until the report required by
Page 6, Line 1subsection (5) of this section is completed and may meet more
Page 6, Line 2frequently before that date if needed. Meetings of the task force may be in person or online.
Page 6, Line 3(5) Not later than eighteen months after the date that
Page 6, Line 4the task force holds its first meeting, the department shall
Page 6, Line 5complete the study and compile the results of the study into a
Page 6, Line 6report. The department shall present the report to the house of
Page 6, Line 7representatives health and human services committee and the
Page 6, Line 8senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees.
Page 6, Line 9(6) (a) It is the intent of the general assembly that the
Page 6, Line 10implementation of this section be funded entirely by gifts,
Page 6, Line 11grants, and donations; that gifts, grants, and donations will be
Page 6, Line 12received throughout the course of the study; and that, in
Page 6, Line 13accordance with section 24-75-1305, no additional general fund
Page 6, Line 14money be appropriated for the implementation of this section.
Page 6, Line 15The department and the task force may seek, accept, and expend
Page 6, Line 16gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sourcesto
Page 6, Line 17implement this section. The department shall not implement this
Page 6, Line 18section unless it receives an amount of gifts, grants, and donations that it deems necessary to implement this section.
Page 6, Line 19(b) The study is contingent on money being available to
Page 6, Line 20carry out the study. If money is not available for the task
Page 6, Line 21force, the department, or any other entity to carry out its
Page 6, Line 22duties required pursuant to this section, the task force, the
Page 6, Line 23department, or the entity is not required to carry out the
Page 6, Line 24duties. A contract with a third-party entity that will provide
Page 7, Line 1services related to the study must be contingent on money being available for that purpose.
(7) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2027.
Page 7, Line 3SECTION 2. No appropriation. The general assembly has
Page 7, Line 4determined that no appropriation of state money is necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.
Page 7, Line 5SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 7, Line 6takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 7, Line 7ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 7, Line 8that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 7, Line 9of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 7, Line 10act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 7, Line 11effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 7, Line 12November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.