First Regular Session | 74th General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblySection 1332 of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) allows a state to apply for a state innovation waiver to pursue innovative strategies for providing its residents with access to high-quality, affordable health insurance while still retaining certain elements of the...
Colorado currently administers 11 Home- and Community-Based Services Medicaid (HCBS) Waivers. This issue brief discusses the five waivers available to children. An issue brief entitled Medicaid Waiver Programs Part II – Home- and Community-Based Services Medicaid Waivers for Adults discusses the...
This memorandum provides information on intergovernmental transfers of revenue from the state government to Colorado's 64 counties. Data from 2010 show that of $5.0 billion in total county revenue, about $1.3 billion or 25.8 percent came from intergovernmental transfers. The state portion made...
This issue brief examines Colorado's fireworks law, including the ability of cities and counties to regulate fireworks.
This document summaries the major pieces of legislation considered by the General Assembly during the 2014 legislative session.
This document provides a summary of major public health legislation considered by the General Assembly during the 2014 legislative session.
This issue brief provides information on the relative size of state and local governments, compared with the total state economy. Government expenditures are represented as a percentage of the state's gross domestic product (GDP). In Colorado, stategovernmentexpendituresarebelowthenational...
The Public Benefits and Services Resource Manual is intended to serve as a reference guide for information on some of the state’s programs that provide direct benefits or services to members of the public. The manual is divided into four sections to make it easier for the reader to access...
Tiny houses are increasing in popularity as a housing option across the country. This issue brief provides a general overview of the various legal obstacles sometimes faced by individuals who want to own and live in a tiny house in Colorado. It also provides several examples of local and state...
Concern over the detrimental effects of secondhand tobacco smoke on nonsmokers has grown in recent years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer in humans in a December 1992 report. In an effort to reduce the risk of tobacco smoke-...
This issue brief provides information about Community-Centered Boards (CCBs) and recent legislation enacted to promote CCB transparency.
This memorandum provides information on Colorado's construction defect laws and the various issues surrounding construction defects in Colorado. It summarizes the current construction defect laws in the state, provides a summary of a recent Denver Regional Council of Governments study of the...
Pursuant to the Health Care Affordability Act of 2009, Colorado collects a provider fee from most hospitals. The hospital provider fee (HPF) is matched with federal Medicaid dollars and used to reimburse hospitals for uncompensated care costs, pay for expansion populations under Medicaid and the...
Federal and state laws allow Medicaid applicants and clients who have their benefits denied, terminated, or reduced to appeal the decision. This issue brief provides an overview of the Medicaid appeals process in Colorado.
Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who is unable or needs assistance to care for himself or herself. It can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family...
Colorado’s Enterprise Zone Program was created by the General Assembly in 1986. The program provides state income tax credits to business and individuals for investing in economically distressed areas of the state in an effort to encourage economic development. This issue brief describes the...
Health insurance is a method of paying for health care services that spreads the risk and costs across a group of covered persons. In exchange for premiums and other cost-sharing mechanisms, such as deductibles and co-payments, health insurance companies pay for the costs of covered services....
Urban renewal provides a set of tools available to local governments to combat slum and blight conditions. This issue brief highlights urban renewal laws and financing in Colorado.
In March 2010, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), was adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President. PPACA expanded health care coverage by increasing access to private health insurance and expanding eligibility for Medicaid. The law also increased...
Colorado's Adult Protective Services (APS) system, first established in 1983, protects at-risk adults who, because of mental or physical ability, are unable to obtain services or otherwise protect their own health, safety, and welfare. In response to greater awareness of at-risk populations,...
Colorado currently administers 11 Home-and Community-Based Services Medicaid (HCBS) Waivers. This issue brief discusses the six waivers available to adults. An issue brief entitled Medicaid Waiver Programs Part I – Home- and Community-Based Services Medicaid Waivers for Children discusses the...
This memorandum provides information on recent trends in Medicaid caseload growth and drivers of state Medicaid expenditures. Included in this memorandum is a ten-year history and three years of projections for Colorado Medicaid caseloads, government expenditures, and expenditures per Medicaid...
Colorado’s state court system is comprised of many different courts, including the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals (COA), and district courts. Colorado law also governs county courts and jurisdiction-specific courts in Denver.1 This issue brief describes the qualification requirements and...
There are 86 courthouse facilities in Colorado: 71 courthouses and 15 probation offices. This issue brief provides an overview of court and court facility funding. Specifically, information is provided on state, county, and municipal court funding requirements and state supplemental funding...
Colorado was tied for the fifth highest suicide rate in the nation in 2014, the most recent year of nationally available data. In 2015, there were 1,093 suicides among Colorado residents, which is the highest number of suicides in the state’s history. This issue brief outlines legislative...