(1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
(a) It is important to provide Colorado peace officers with access to life-saving health screenings that have been proven to mitigate the physical health effects of exposure to multiple traumatic events experienced by peace officers in the course of their duties;
(b) Exposure to these traumatic events and other job-related stress factors are associated with early onset cardiac disease and other cardiac-related health issues that are found at a much higher rate among peace officers;
(c) Early intervention has been found to be key in combating the tragic health consequences of working in public safety;
(d) This part 6 provides funding for costs associated with obtaining these important screenings and other recommended testing;
(e) While other screening may be available, the screenings provided through a trust model are targeted and tailored to individuals serving in public safety roles;
(f) The trust model has been proven to be successful and should be adopted statewide in order to screen more public safety personnel;
(g) Cardiac and other health screenings are an efficient use of public resources because early screening can help public safety personnel get necessary treatment and avoid much higher costs; and
(h) This vital screening may allow seasoned professionals to serve in positions longer, saving resources that would be necessary to train new employees.
Source: L. 2024: Entire part added, (HB 24-1219), ch. 282, p. 1884, � 5, effective May 29.