Despite The Weekend Blizzard, Senate Democrats Plow Ahead With Legislative Work This Week

Bills on preventative health care coverage, prescription drug affordability, K-12 education, and post-incarceration transitions all head to committees this week

DENVER, CO -  With the legislative session in full swing, a flurry of bills are scheduled for Senate committees this week. Several of the legislative priorities include:

SB21-016: Protecting Preventive Health Care Coverage, sponsored by Senators Pettersen & Moreno.

• Although preventative healthcare screenings can significantly reduce life expectancy and potential insurance costs, many screenings aren’t covered by typical health plans, leaving consumers to bear the burden of cost. This bill requires the addition of several preventative health care services--including osteoporosis screening, urinary incontinence screening and STI health care--to be covered by health plans so that everyone can get the preventive care they need, regardless of cost.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee upon adjournment of floor work today, Tuesday, March 16th in Senate Committee Room 357.

SB21-153: Department of Corrections Offender Identification Assistance Program, sponsored by Senators Coleman & Cooke.

• On average, 4 out of 10 Americans that are released from prison will return. In Colorado, that number is 5 in 10. We must do a better job of providing former inmates with the tools to reintegrate back into normal life so that we can reduce the likelihood that they reenter the prison system. This bill requires the Department of Corrections to assist offenders with acquiring state-issued identification cards and other documents so that they can more easily seek employment, healthcare, education, and overcome other barriers that a lack of identification can present for recently-released inmates.

This bill will be heard by the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee at 2:00PM on Tuesday, March 16th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

SB21-175: Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board, sponsored by Senators Jaquez Lewis & Gonzales.

• As prescription drug costs continue to skyrocket, Coloradans are having to make impossible choices between buying their prescriptions or paying rent and buying groceries. At a time when Coloradans are already struggling with the economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must do more to ensure that all Coloradans - particularly communities of color - have access to affordable health care. This bill establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board, which will convene a panel of experts to investigate prescription drug costs and set guardrails on price increases for the most expensive prescription drugs in the state.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee at 1:30PM on Wednesday, March 17th in Senate Committee Room 357.

SB21-013: Reversing COVID-related Learning Loss, sponsored by Senator Fields.

• Throughout the chaos of the last year, public schools have navigated the ever-changing needs of students and teachers – having to redesign methods of instruction, address technology needs, and provide social, emotional, and food support for students, all while dealing with illness and quarantining requirements amongst pupils and staff. Despite their best efforts, our K-12 students are now somewhere between 3-9 months behind, and it’s even worse for our students of color and lower socioeconomic status. This bill seeks to fill in these gaps by directing the Department of Education to prioritize reversing student learning loss, which will urgently address our children’s educational needs and ensure no student is left behind.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee at 1:30PM on Thursday, March 18th in Senate Committee Room 357.

SB21-066: Juvenile Diversion Programs, sponsored by Senator Lee.

• For many, a life in and out of the criminal justice system begins as a child. Every child makes mistakes but some mistakes carry life-altering consequences that can hamper a young person's potential forever.  We must reverse this devastating trend and provide juvenile delinquents with social services that provide them opportunities for education, reconciliation, and ultimately, reformation. This bill will direct the Division of Criminal Justice to instill a greater focus and emphasis on diversion programs that give troubled kids a pathway to find help, rather than just pushing them into the detention system.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee at 1:30PM on Thursday March 18th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

To listen to committee hearings, visit leg.colorado.gov/watch-listen. The full Senate calendar for the week can be found at http://leg.colorado.gov/session-schedule?type=senate