# Colorado HB26-1238: Designating Emergency Medical Services Essential Services Colorado HB26-1238, Designating Emergency Medical Services Essential Services, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Dusty Johnson (Republican), Mark Baisley (Republican), Meghan Lukens (Democratic) and 1 others; status signed, last action 2026-05-05 (Governor Signed) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1238-2026A - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado HB26-1238 - State: Colorado - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Designating Emergency Medical Services Essential Services - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-18 - Last action: 2026-05-05, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Dusty Johnson (Republican), Mark Baisley (Republican), Meghan Lukens (Democratic), William Lindstedt (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 33 - Subjects: Health Care & Health Insurance - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (117 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Off-duty emergency medical workers can decline: benefit, low. The law places no duty on off-duty emergency medical providers to respond to emergency scenes or provide emergency medical services. It takes effect at 12:01 a.m. the day after the 90-day period following final adjournment. That means August 12, 2026, if lawmakers adjourn on May 13, 2026. A referen… - Emergency medical providers gain essential status: benefit, low. Colorado recognizes emergency medical providers as providing essential services when on duty or responding as volunteers, regardless of location. This includes emergency and nonemergency ambulance providers. The law takes effect at 12:01 a.m. the day after the 90-day period following final adjournm… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Dusty Johnson (Republican), House - Sponsor: Mark Baisley (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Meghan Lukens (Democratic), House - Sponsor: William Lindstedt (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ava Flanell (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Amy Paschal (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Bob Marshall (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brianna Titone (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Eliza Hamrick (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Gretchen Rydin (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Bacon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jarvis Caldwell (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jamie Jackson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Javier Mabrey (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kyle Brown (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Karen McCormick (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Katie Stewart (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lorena Garcia (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lesley Smith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Meg Froelich (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mandy Lindsay (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Manny Rutinel (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ryan Gonzalez (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rebecca Keltie (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ron Weinberg (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Tammy Story (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Judy Amabile (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: John Carson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lindsey Daugherty (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Larry Liston (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Tony Exum (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-07 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | Refer House Bill 26-1238 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. | pass | 7 | 0 | | | 2026-03-12 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 63 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | House | Refer House Bill 26-1238, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 13 | 0 | | ## Actions (15) - 2026-05-05: Governor Signed (House) - 2026-04-28: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-04-28: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-04-07: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-04-06: Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-04-06: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/02/2026 - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-03-17: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services (Senate) - 2026-03-12: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-03-11: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (House) - 2026-03-11: House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor (House) - 2026-03-06: House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments (House) - 2026-03-03: House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2026-02-18: Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113171/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115198/download) - House Health & Human Services Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112893/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112177/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113201/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114219/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114153/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115962/download) ## Related bills - HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements (signed) - HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture (signed) - HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests (signed) - HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments (signed) - SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise (signed) - HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113171/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115198/download) - [House Health & Human Services Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112893/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112177/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113201/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114219/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114153/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115962/download) ## Related - [HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1298-2026A) - [HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1250-2026A) - [HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1414-2026A) - [HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1430-2026A) - [SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-155-2026A) - [HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1429-2026A) - [Colorado bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado/bills) - [Colorado state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1238-2026A (as of 2026-10-19).