SENATE Amended 3rd Reading March 19, 2014 SENATE Amended 2nd Reading March 18, 2014 HOUSE 3rd Reading Unamended February 17, 2014 HOUSE Amended 2nd Reading February 14, 2014Second Regular Session Sixty-ninth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REREVISED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the Second House LLS NO. 14-0378.01 Kristen Forrestal x4217HOUSE BILL 14-1117 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Schafer, Ginal, Landgraf, McCann, Singer, Wright, Fields, Becker, Kraft-Tharp SENATE SPONSORSHIP Roberts, House Committees Senate Committees Health, Insurance, & Environment Health & Human Services Legislative Council A BILL FOR AN ACT Concerning the creation of the Colorado premature birth commission. 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://www.leg.state.co.us/billsummaries.) The bill creates the Colorado premature birth commission (commission). The executive director of the department of public health and environment (director) is required to appoint no more than 12 members to the commission. The commission is directed to make recommendations and identify strategies to reduce premature births in Colorado. The bill requires the director to report these findings to the health committees of the general assembly. The commission is repealed after the report is made. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 25-1-128 as follows: 25-1-128. Prematurity birth commission - creation - legislative declaration - members - purpose - repeal. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that: (a) Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths; (b) Children born prematurely have higher rates of learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, sensory deficits, and respiratory illnesses compared to children born at full term; (c) One in ten Colorado babies is born premature; (d) Significant racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities in the rate of babies born premature persist in Colorado; (e) Premature birth is costly to businesses and government agencies, with the medical costs to employers increasing up to seventy-five percent with a prematurity diagnosis; and (f) To reduce the incidence of premature births in Colorado, preventive strategies should involve identifying and strengthening existing comprehensive evidence-based approaches while, at the same time, considering new and promising approaches to prevention of premature births. (2) (a) There is hereby created the Colorado premature birth commission, referred to in this section as the commission. (b) On or before July 1, 2014, the executive director of the department, in consultation with a Colorado nonprofit organization whose mission focus is primarily premature birth issues, shall appoint no more than thirteen members to the commission with the goal of selecting a broad representation of individuals who work in the maternal and child health field. The commission must include four members of the general assembly. The speaker of the house, the minority leader of the house, the senate president, and the senate minorty leader will each choose one of the four members to serve on the commission. The four members of the general assembly chosen for the commission shall not be compensated by the state for their service on the commission. In making the appointments, the executive director of the department shall consider: (I) State agencies and nonprofit organizations in charge of systems and services for the betterment of the health, education, and welfare of women, infants, and children; (II) Representatives of the public health community; (III) Ethnic, racial, and geographic diversity among the appointed members; (IV) Health care providers for women, infants, and children; (V) Individuals who have been directly affected by premature birth; and (VI) A representative from an association of Colorado hospitals. (c) The commission shall meet at least once and no later than July 31, 2014. At the first meeting, the commission members shall elect a chairperson who shall act as the presiding officer of the commission, determine a meeting schedule, and guide the development of recommendations and strategies to reduce premature births. The commission members shall serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses. (3) (a) On or before December 1, 2014, the commission shall make recommendations and identify strategies to reduce premature births in Colorado. The recommendations may include statutory changes for consideration by the general assembly, policy changes, educational efforts, or other recommendations. (b) On or before January 31, 2015, the executive director of the department shall report the commission's recommendations and suggested strategies to the senate health and human services committee; the house health, insurance, and environment committee; and the house public health care and human services committee, or their successor committees. (4) This section is repealed, effective February 1, 2015. SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.