First Regular Session
Sixty-second General Assembly
LLS NO. 99-0278.01 Jane Brown HOUSE BILL 99-1086
STATE OF COLORADO
BY REPRESENTATIVE Larson;
also SENATOR Wham.
HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, WELFARE, & INSTITUTIONS
A BILL FOR AN ACT
101 CONCERNING A REQUIREMENT THAT PROVIDERS OF HEALTH CARE
102 SERVICES DISPLAY CERTAIN IDENTIFYING INFORMATION WHEN
103 PROVIDING HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently
adopted.)
Requires providers of health care services to wear an identification
badge when providing health care services. States that the badge must
contain a photograph of the provider and such provider's full name and
credentials or job title if such person is not registered, certified, or
licensed.
Excludes persons for whom such badge would pose a serious risk
of physical safety, situations where a risk of infection would be created
by the wearing of a badge, individuals who provide health care during an
emergency, and professionals when their name and credentials are
displayed upon entry to their office.
1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2 SECTION 1. Part 1 of article 1 of title 6, Colorado Revised
3 Statutes, is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to
4 read:
5 6-1-105.6. Identification badges for providers of health care
[ ] denotes HOUSE amendment. { } denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate material to be deleted from existing statute.
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1 services - legislative declaration - definitions - exceptions.
2 (1) Legislative declaration. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEREBY FINDS,
3 DETERMINES, AND DECLARES THAT HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS HAVE A
4 RIGHT TO KNOW THE NAME AND CREDENTIALS OF ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO IS
5 INVOLVED IN THE PROVISION OF THEIR HEALTH CARE. THE GENERAL
6 ASSEMBLY FURTHER FINDS THAT SUCH INFORMATION SHOULD BE
7 DISPLAYED IN WRITTEN FORM ON A BADGE WORN BY SUCH PERSON
8 WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS. SUCH
9 KNOWLEDGE WILL ASSIST CONSUMERS IN PARTICIPATING APPROPRIATELY
10 IN THE PROVISION OF THEIR HEALTH CARE AND WILL ENHANCE THEIR
11 SAFETY.
12 (2) Definitions. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT
13 OTHERWISE REQUIRES:
14 (a) "CREDENTIAL" MEANS LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION BY OR
15 REGISTRATION WITH A STATE AGENCY THAT REGULATES A HEALTH
16 PROFESSION, OR REGISTRATION WITH OR CERTIFICATION BY A NATIONALLY
17 RECOGNIZED HEALTH CARE CREDENTIALING BODY THAT REVIEWS,
18 VERIFIES, OR VALIDATES THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF
19 HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. THE TERM ALSO MEANS A PROFESSIONAL
20 TITLE, INCLUDING INITIALS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED TO INDICATE
21 LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, OR REGISTRATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
22 LIMITED TO, M.D., R.N., OR P.T.
23 (b) "HEALTH CARE INSTITUTION" MEANS ANY LICENSED OR
24 CERTIFIED HOSPITAL, HEALTH CARE FACILITY, DISPENSARY, OR OTHER
25 AGENCY SETTING FOR THE PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE.
26 (c) "HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL" MEANS ANY PERSON LICENSED,
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1 CERTIFIED, OR REGISTERED IN THIS STATE OR ANY OTHER STATE TO
2 PRACTICE MEDICINE, CHIROPRACTIC, NURSING, PHYSICAL THERAPY,
3 PODIATRY, DENTISTRY, PHARMACY, OPTOMETRY, AUDIOLOGY, MENTAL
4 HEALTH, OR OTHER HEALING ARTS.
5 (d) "HEALTH CARE SERVICE" MEANS ACTIVITIES PERFORMED
6 DURING THE ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS, CARE, OR TREATMENT OF AN
7 INDIVIDUAL BY A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OR ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL
8 PURSUANT TO THE DIRECTION OF A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.
9 (3) (a) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (4) OF THIS SECTION,
10 CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS SHALL WEAR AN IDENTIFICATION BADGE
11 CONTAINING THE INDIVIDUAL'S PHOTOGRAPH WHEN PROVIDING HEALTH
12 CARE SERVICES. SUCH BADGE SHALL ALSO CONTAIN THE INDIVIDUAL'S
13 FULL NAME AND CREDENTIALS; EXCEPT THAT, IF SUCH INDIVIDUAL DOES
14 NOT HOLD A CREDENTIAL, THEN THE BADGE SHALL INSTEAD CONTAIN HIS
15 OR HER JOB TITLE. THE LETTERING ON THE BADGE SHALL BE OF SUCH A
16 SIZE THAT IT CAN REASONABLY BE READ BY PATIENTS.
17 (b) THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS SHALL WEAR THE BADGE
18 DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (a) OF THIS SUBSECTION (3):
19 (I) HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS;
20 (II) EMPLOYEES OF HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS WHO COME INTO
21 CONTACT WITH PATIENTS; AND
22 (III) ANY INDIVIDUAL PROVIDING A HEALTH CARE SERVICE.
23 (4) THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO:
24 (a) SITUATIONS IN WHICH THERE IS A REASONABLE RISK TO THE
25 PHYSICAL SAFETY OF THE INDIVIDUAL REQUIRED TO BE IDENTIFIED. THE
26 GOVERNING BODY OF A HEALTH CARE INSTITUTION OR OTHER AGENCY
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1 THAT EMPLOYS INDIVIDUALS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (b) OF SUBSECTION
2 (3) OF THIS SECTION, MAY FIND THAT THE WEARING OF BADGES WILL POSE
3 A REASONABLE RISK TO THE PHYSICAL SAFETY OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS AND
4 PROVIDE FOR ALTERNATIVES BY WRITTEN POLICY. SUCH ALTERNATIVES
5 SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE VISIBLE IDENTIFICATION OF THE JOB TITLE OR THE
6 CREDENTIALS HELD BY PROVIDERS OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES,
7 WHICHEVER IS APPROPRIATE.
8 (b) OCCASIONS WHEN THERE IS A NEED TO PROTECT THE
9 CONSUMER FROM UNNECESSARY RISK OF INFECTION;
10 (c) THE PRINCIPAL OF A PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE OFFICE WHEN
11 SUCH PRINCIPAL'S NAME AND CREDENTIALS ARE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED
12 ON THE ENTRY TO SUCH OFFICE;
13 (d) ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO PROVIDES HEALTH CARE DURING AN
14 EMERGENCY, AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 13-21-108 (1), C.R.S.
15 SECTION 2. Effective date. This act shall take effect at 12:01
16 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after
17 final adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting
18 a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section 1 (3) of the state
19 constitution; except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act
20 or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act,
21 item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the
22 date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the
23 governor.