NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 5/17/2013.
      
      
      SENATE BILL 13-178
      
      
      BY SENATOR(S) Hudak, Giron, Grantham, Jahn, Kerr, Newell, Todd,
      Aguilar, Brophy, Crowder, Kefalas, Lundberg, Nicholson, Steadman;
      also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Hamner, Kraft-Tharp, May, Navarro, Schafer,
      Coram, Fischer, Gerou, Ginal, Hullinghorst, Labuda, Landgraf, Lebsock,
      Melton, Mitsch Bush, Pabon, Pettersen, Rosenthal, Tyler, Vigil, Young.
      
      
      Concerning authorizing Red Rocks community college to offer a
           physician assistant studies program as a program of
           graduate education.
       
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly
      hereby finds and declares that:
      
           (a)  The health care industry is relying, in part, on the physician
      assistant profession to meet certain provider needs in the present and in the
      future that will otherwise be unmet without these providers;
      
           (b)  The accreditation standards for physician assistant programs
      require that all currently accredited programs confer graduate degrees upon
      those students who initially enroll in the physician assistant program after
      2020;
      
           (c)  Further, in order to meet the eligibility requirements of the
      accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant,
      a single institution must be clearly identified as the sponsor of the program,
      must be authorized under applicable law to provide a program of graduate
      education, must be accredited by a recognized regional accrediting agency,
      and must be authorized by the accrediting agency to confer a graduate
      degree upon those students who complete the physician assistant program;
      
           (d)  Physician assistant programs that are not in compliance with
      these degree requirements by January 1, 2021, will have their accreditation
      withdrawn;
      
           (e)  Red Rocks community college's physician assistant program
      (RRCCPAP) is accredited through the accreditation review commission on
      education for the physician assistant. Red Rocks community college offers
      a certificate program in physician assistant studies and prepares the student
      for the national exam through a twenty-five-month-long program designed
      to train individuals to provide primary care to the medically underserved.
      Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree and 2,000 hours of paid
      medical experience. The RRCCPAP currently offers an on-line master of
      medical science degree through an affiliation with St. Francis university in
      Pennsylvania.
      
           (f)  In order to continue to meet the eligibility requirements and
      ensure that Red Rocks community college can continue to prepare students
      to serve as physician assistants, Red Rocks community college must be
      authorized to confer a masters of physician assistant studies degree on
      students completing the RRCCPAP on its own, and not through an
      affiliation with St. Francis university in Pennsylvania.
      
           (2)  Therefore, the general assembly declares that it is in the best
      interests of the state of Colorado to authorize Red Rocks community college
      to seek accreditation for and offer its physician assistant program as a
      program of graduate education.
      
           SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-60-211, add (3) as
      follows:
      
           23-60-211.  Degrees. (3)  Pursuant to section 23-60-213, Red
      Rocks community college may offer a graduate program in
      physician assistant studies.
      
           SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-60-213 as
      follows:
      
           23-60-213.  Red Rocks community college - physician assistant
      master's program.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to
      the contrary, Red Rocks community college is authorized to
      confer a graduate degree upon a student who completes the
      physician assistant studies program and shall seek accreditation
      for the program.
      
           SECTION 4.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
      takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
      ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
      7, 2013, if adjournment sine die is on May 8, 2013); except that, if a
      referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
      constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within
      such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
      approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2014
      and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
      the vote thereon by the governor.
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      John P. Morse                         Mark Ferrandino
      PRESIDENT OF                     SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
      THE SENATE                         OF REPRESENTATIVES
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Cindi L. Markwell                      Marilyn Eddins
      SECRETARY OF                 CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
      THE SENATE                         OF REPRESENTATIVES
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO