Bill Summary for Bill Number HB15-1194

Date: 04/29/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1194

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Postpone House Bill 15-1194 indefinitely using a r Refer House Bill 15-1194 to the Committee on Appro	PASS FAIL

04:58 PM -- HB15-1194

Senator Hodge, sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1194 to the committee. The bill continues the Family Planning Program within the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), provides an appropriation of $5,000,000 General Fund in FY 2015-16, and requires an annual appropriation of moneys each year thereafter from the General Fund to the CDPHE. The bill specifies that any moneys appropriated to the CDPHE under the bill cannot be used to supplant or reduce any other state-funded family planning program appropriations. The funding must be used to continue a grant program providing Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) methods to low-income and uninsured women to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Colorado. Under the bill, the CDPHE will contract with eligible family planning providers across the state to provide LARC services, including, but not limited to:

• the provision of LARC, including intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants;
• training for providers and staff concerning LARC methods, counseling strategies, and managing side effects;
• technical assistance concerning billing, pharmacy rules, and clinic management;
• general support to family planning clinics;
• marketing and outreach strategies; and
• other services as deemed necessary by the CDPHE.

Senator Hodge provided background information about Colorado's family planning program. She described LARCs, noting that they have high up-front costs but save money over the long term. She discussed the benefits of reducing unintended pregnancies.

05:04 PM -- Josephine Dennison, representing herself, testified against the bill. She described her background in the medical field and noted possible side effects of IUD use. She presented a letter from Dr. John Volk (Attachment G). She noted additional issues with LARC use. Ms. Dennison suggested state funds be used to promote abstinence.

15SenateState0429AttachG.pdf

05:09 PM -- Michael Norton, representing Colorado Family Action, testified against the bill. He provided written testimony (Attachment H) and read from this testimony. He discussed religious liberty issues he sees with the bill. He further discussed side effects of LARCs and expressed concern that they induce abortions.

15SenateState0429AttachH.pdf

05:13 PM -- Dr. Larry Wolk, representing the CDPHE, testified in support of the bill. He discussed the success of CDPHE's family planning program and noted its varied funding sources. He noted that the program is evidence-based, and has reduced the number of both teen pregnancies and abortions. Senator Jones discussed this testimony with Dr. Wolk.

05:19 PM -- Dr. John Douglas, representing the Tri-County Health Department and the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, testified in support of the bill. He discussed family planning programs at the local level. He noted the importance of reducing teen sexual encounters.

05:23 PM -- Dr. Rebecca Cohen, representing herself as a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist, testified in support of the bill. She explained that LARCs are effective and stated that Colorado's program is a national model. She described the methods LARCs use to prevent pregnancy.

05:26 PM -- Corrine Rivera-Fowler, representing the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), testified in support of the bill. She told her story of teen pregnancy and the challenges she faced.

05:30 PM -- Amber Burkhart, representing the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, testified in support of the bill. She discussed a report on contraception coverage (Attachment I), noting that many insurance companies do not cover LARCs. She explained that the bill would help fill this gap in coverage.

15SenateState0429AttachI.pdf

05:35 PM -- Mahna Salter, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. She described her experience as an attorney representing children in abuse and neglect cases. She explained that these children often have parents who are overwhelmed, and she suggested that reducing unwanted pregnancies would help reduce child abuse.

05:39 PM -- Rosina Kovar, representing herself, testified against the bill. She discussed sexually transmitted diseases and the need for character education. She provided written testimony (Attachment J) to the committee.

15SenateState0429AttachJ.pdf

05:40 PM

Senator Hodge wrapped up her presentation of the bill.

05:40 PM

The committee recessed.

05:43 PM

The committee reconvened. Committee members commented on the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1194
TIME:	05:44:18 PM
MOVED:	Jones
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1194 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a vote of 2-3.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Hill	No
	Jones	Yes
	Ulibarri	Yes
	Sonnenberg	No
	Scott	No


YES: 2 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:	HB15-1194
TIME:	05:44:45 PM
MOVED:	Sonnenberg
MOTION:	Postpone House Bill 15-1194 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Hill	Yes
	Jones	No
	Ulibarri	No
	Sonnenberg	Yes
	Scott	Yes


Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS