All Roll Calls
Yes: 288 • No: 349
ColoradoSB25-1302025 Regular SessionSenate
Providing Emergency Medical Services
Sponsored By: Julie Gonzales (Democratic), Meg Froelich (Democratic), Mike Weissman (Democratic), Yara Zokaie (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Health Care & Health Insurance
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Emergency patients gain stronger care rights
Colorado hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and community clinics must provide emergency screening when you or someone acting for you requests care. They must also act when your appearance or behavior would make a reasonable person think emergency care is needed. Emergency conditions include threats of serious harm and labor when there is not enough time for safe transfer. Facilities must provide stabilizing care within their abilities and capacity, including abortion or sterilization when needed to stabilize you. Facilities cannot deny or discriminate in emergency care for reasons barred by Colorado’s public-accommodations law. They cannot ask about your ability to pay or collect payment information until after emergency services; this does not cancel your bill. Emergency departments must keep a willing, able provider available at all times, while allowing individual providers a religious exemption.
Patients gain emergency care enforcement tools
Colorado’s health department can investigate facilities that negligently break the emergency-care rules. The attorney general can seek court orders and civil penalties up to $50,000 for negligent violations by emergency departments or examining providers. People who suffer personal injury from an emergency-services violation can sue. Physicians face professional discipline for negligent violations, improper transfer certifications, false statements, or unreasonable failure to appear when called. Facilities must keep a central log showing refusals, denials, no treatment needed, transfers, admission and treatment, stabilization and transfer, or discharge. They must also document examinations, treatments, informed refusals, and transfer or discharge steps. For fiscal year 2025–26, the law provides $82,768 once from the Health Facilities General Licensure Cash Fund. This includes $19,796 for administration and operations, assuming 0.2 added full-time-equivalent staff, and $62,972 for facility surveys, assuming 0.5 added staff.
Stronger safeguards for emergency patient departures
Before transferring an unstable emergency patient, facilities must give available care to reduce risks. The receiving facility must agree to accept the patient and have space, qualified staff, and suitable treatment. Transfers require qualified transport staff, suitable equipment, needed life support, and available medical records. They also require an informed written patient or representative request, or medical certification explaining the transfer’s risks and benefits. When no physician is present, the examining provider certifies after physician consultation and agreement; that physician later countersigns. Discharge requires a stable condition and compliance with state standards, unless the patient or representative makes an informed written request or refuses further care. For refusal, facilities must offer more care, explain risks and benefits, document the refusal, and try to obtain it in writing. Transfers must also follow state standards aligned with federal emergency-care rules.
Emergency providers gain defined legal protections
Facilities cannot punish providers for providing or refusing emergency services, including refusing to transfer a patient whose emergency condition remains unstable. Facilities and providers do not violate these emergency-care rules when proper screening finds and records no emergency condition. The same protection applies to transfers and discharges that follow the law, and good-faith inpatient admission for further stabilizing care. For the same violation, a federal emergency-care civil penalty reduces the maximum applicable state civil penalty. These protections do not excuse negligent violations outside the law’s stated protections.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Julie Gonzales
Democratic • Senate
Meg Froelich
Democratic • House
Mike Weissman
Democratic • Senate
Yara Zokaie
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
Amy Paschal
Democratic • House
Cecelia Espenoza
Democratic • House
Julie McCluskie
Democratic • House
Michael Carter
Democratic • House
Rep. S. Bird
Affiliation unavailable
Katie Wallace
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 5/6/2025
House amendments: Repass
Yes: 23 • No: 12
Senate vote • 5/6/2025
House amendments: Concur
Yes: 35 • No: 0
House vote • 5/3/2025
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 42 • No: 21
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.004)
Yes: 21 • No: 40
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.002)
Yes: 20 • No: 42
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.001)
Yes: 20 • No: 42
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.003)
Yes: 20 • No: 41
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.007)
Yes: 20 • No: 42
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.008)
Yes: 20 • No: 42
House vote • 5/2/2025
Committee of the whole: Amd (h.005)
Yes: 19 • No: 42
House vote • 4/30/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-130 to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 7 • No: 4
House vote • 4/28/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-130 to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 9 • No: 4
Senate vote • 4/23/2025
Third reading: Bill
Yes: 23 • No: 12
Senate vote • 4/17/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-130, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Yes: 4 • No: 3
Senate vote • 4/14/2025
Refer Senate Bill 25-130, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Yes: 5 • No: 2
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
5/14/2025HouseSent to the Governor
5/13/2025HouseSigned by the President of the Senate
5/13/2025SenateSigned by the Speaker of the House
5/13/2025HouseSenate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
5/6/2025SenateHouse Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
5/3/2025HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor
5/2/2025HouseHouse Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
4/30/2025HouseHouse Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended to Appropriations
4/28/2025HouseSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
4/23/2025SenateIntroduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services
4/23/2025HouseSenate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
4/22/2025SenateSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
4/17/2025SenateSenate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
4/14/2025SenateSenate Committee on Judiciary Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
2/12/2025SenateIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
2/5/2025Senate
Bill Text
Engrossed
Final Act
Introduced
Reengrossed
Rerevised
Revised
Senate Appropriations Preamend
Senate Judiciary Preamend
Signed Act