# Colorado SB26-138: Reducing Administrative Burdens on Health Care Colorado SB26-138, Reducing Administrative Burdens on Health Care, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Katie Stewart (Democratic), Kyle Mullica (Democratic), Lindsey Daugherty (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-06-02 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-138-2026A - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado SB26-138 - State: Colorado - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Reducing Administrative Burdens on Health Care - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-03-11 - Last action: 2026-06-02, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Katie Stewart (Democratic), Kyle Mullica (Democratic), Lindsey Daugherty (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 19 - Subjects: Health Care & Health Insurance, Public Health - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 11 (295 yes, 41 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Another path to discounted patient care: benefit, high. Patients who complete the uniform application and qualify can receive the discounts available under existing law. Facilities generally cannot deny discounted care solely because a patient did not apply for public benefits. The protection has an exception when initial screening finds the patient pre… - Billing protections while patients seek coverage: benefit, medium. Facilities must explain how to apply for likely public coverage and offer reasonable help or a referral. Applying is the main way to resolve hospital bills until coverage is denied or 45 days after discharge, whichever comes first. After 45 days without a coverage decision, facilities must proceed… - Patient complaints trigger discount corrections: benefit, medium. The state must accept complaints by phone, mail, or online and review them within 30 days. It must also check facilities and licensed professionals for correct eligibility decisions and discounted charges. Providers that delay or deny an owed discount must submit a correction plan within 90 days af… - Clearer applications and notices for patients: benefit, low. Facilities must gather needed application information and provide requested applications, unless discounts have already reduced the balance to zero. They must share patient-rights information and an application link; the state must post the application in all required languages. Qualified patients… - Hospitals get longer financial-report deadlines: benefit, low. Hospitals have 150 days, rather than 120, after their fiscal year ends to file audited financial statements. Extensions must be granted in writing before the deadline. The State Board sets report content and format by rule; the 2026 format remains unless changed by rule. Hospitals follow requiremen… - Formal rules protect discounted-care applicants: benefit, low. The State Board of Health must adopt application rules by July 1, 2027, covering deadlines, appeals, and minimum income documents. Income checks cannot count patient assets; rules may allow standard outside screening tools, including major credit bureaus. Agencies must use rulemaking with stakehold… - General opioid training requirement ends: benefit, low. Regulators must repeal general opioid-training rules by July 1, 2027. Those rules required up to four hours per licensing cycle for affected health-care providers. Optometrists are removed from the listed provider types. The statutory training provision is repealed effective September 1, 2029. - Facilities renew licenses every two years: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2028, covered health-care facilities generally apply for licenses every two years instead of annually. Community residential homes follow a separate licensing rule. For licenses issued on or before July 1, 2030, the public health department may require another application after on… - Veterinarians need substance-use prevention training: cost, low. Veterinarians must complete at least one hour of substance-use prevention training per license renewal period. Topics include veterinary opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing, human substance-use recognition and referral, and prescription monitoring. Veterinarians are exempt with national board cer… - Patient screening expands, but claims face limits: mixed, medium. Facilities must screen uninsured patients for public coverage and discounted care unless they decline. Insured patients get screening and any needed eligibility application when they ask. Facilities may use standard outside tools, a state questionnaire, or both; screening for their own assistance p… - Dental training authority includes education credit: mixed, low. The dental board may require dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists to complete up to four training hours per licensing cycle. Topics cover opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing, substance-use recognition and referral, and prescription monitoring. A board-adopted requirement applies to… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Katie Stewart (Democratic), House - Sponsor: Kyle Mullica (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Lindsey Daugherty (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Bacon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Julie McCluskie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Karen McCormick (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mandy Lindsay (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Kolker (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeff Bridges (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: John Carson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jessie Danielson (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lisa Cutter (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Matt Ball (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Scott Bright (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Tony Exum (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-05-08 | Senate | House amendments: Concur | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-05-08 | Senate | House amendments: Repass | pass | 30 | 4 | | | 2026-05-07 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 49 | 15 | | | 2026-05-07 | House | Third reading: Amd (l.019) | pass | 52 | 12 | | | 2026-05-07 | House | Third reading: Perm | pass | 62 | 2 | | | 2026-05-05 | House | Refer Senate Bill 26-138, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 9 | 4 | | | 2026-05-01 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 32 | 3 | | | 2026-04-30 | Senate | Refer Senate Bill 26-138 to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 7 | 0 | | | 2026-04-30 | Senate | Reconsider | pass | 7 | 0 | | | 2026-04-30 | Senate | Refer Senate Bill 26-138 to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 6 | 1 | | | 2026-04-23 | Senate | Refer Senate Bill 26-138, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. | pass | 7 | 0 | | ## Actions (14) - 2026-06-02: Governor Signed (House) - 2026-05-21: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-05-21: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-05-21: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-05-08: Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (Senate) - 2026-05-07: House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor (House) - 2026-05-06: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (House) - 2026-05-05: House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2026-05-01: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-05-01: Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services (House) - 2026-04-30: Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115533/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116570/download) - House Health & Human Services Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115872/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113169/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115566/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116088/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115960/download) - Senate Health & Human Services Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115216/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116952/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/115533/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116570/download) - [House Health & Human Services Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115872/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113169/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115566/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116088/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115960/download) - [Senate Health & Human Services Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115216/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116952/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-SB26-138-2026A (as of 2026-10-16).