Senator Pettersen’s Freestanding Emergency Departments Bill Passes Senate Health and Human Services Committee

March 7, 2019

Denver, CO – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted this afternoon 4-to-1 to advance HB19-1010, Freestanding Emergency Departments Licensure, a bill sponsored by Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Jefferson County) that aims to make healthcare more transparent and affordable by creating a new license for specific health facilities. The bill now heads to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.

“The new, independent license that this legislation creates will help increase transparency in our healthcare system and support Coloradans in need of critical health services,” said Senator Pettersen. “I am committed to making quality healthcare less complicated and more affordable in our state so that people can get the care they need, and this bill is an important step in that process.”

The bill creates a new license – the Freestanding Emergency Department License – for the department of public health and environment to issue to specific types of health facilities. Qualifying health facilities must offer emergency care, may offer primary and urgent care services, and can either be affiliated with or independent of a hospital if they are more than 250 yards away from it. Community clinics that serve an underserved population in the state will be exempt from the licenses.

For more information on HB19-1010, please visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1010

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