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Read. Follow. Verify.Colorado reduces health-care provider training mandates, shifts facility license renewals to every two years, and updates uninsured patient screening rules
Last action · June 2, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Lindsey Daugherty and 21 others
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What This Bill Does
Colorado Senate Bill 138 repeals general mandatory prescribing training for licensed health-care providers, permits the Colorado dental board to require up to four credit hours of such training for dental professionals, and mandates one hour of training for veterinarians. The law also extends health-care facility license renewals to every two years, updates uninsured patient screening requirements to allow third-party resources or questionnaires, and adjusts hospital financial reporting deadlines and transparency review periods.
Licensed health-care providers, dentists, dental hygienists, veterinarians, and health-care facilities face modified continuing education mandates, altered licensing renewal intervals, and revised administrative workflows for screening uninsured patients and submitting financial reports.
- Senate Bill 138 was enacted during the 2026 legislative session in Colorado after passing both legislative chambers and receiving the Governor's signature. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
licensed health-care providers
General mandatory continuing education requirements regarding drug prescribing per licensing cycle are repealed.
dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists
The Colorado dental board is authorized to require up to 4 credit hours of training regarding prescribing drugs and treatment per licensing cycle.
veterinarians
Licensed veterinarians are required to complete at least 1 hour of training per renewal period regarding prescribing drugs and treatment.
health-care facilities
Facility license renewal frequency changes from annual to biennial, and screening methods for uninsured patients are updated.
hospitals
Annual audited financial statement submission deadlines are extended to 150 days, and transparency report review windows are set to 15 business days.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do health-care facilities now need to apply for a license from the department of public health and environment?
What are the new training requirements for veterinarians regarding prescribing drugs?
How has the deadline for hospitals to submit annual audited financial statements changed?
What methods can health-care facilities use to screen uninsured patients for public health insurance eligibility?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
14 actions- Jun 2, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolledGovernor Signed
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorSigned by the President of the Senate
- May 21, 2026HouseFloorSigned by the Speaker of the House
- May 21, 2026Office of the GovernorEnrolledSent to the Governor
- May 8, 2026SenateSenate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- May 7, 2026HouseFloorHouse Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
Show 8 earlier actions
- May 6, 2026HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
- May 5, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
- May 1, 2026SenateFloorSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
- May 1, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services
- Apr 30, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
- Apr 30, 2026SenateSenate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
- Apr 23, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations
- Mar 11, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
Refer Senate Bill 26-138, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Total
7
- Yes
- 3
- No
- 4
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Show 3 earlier roll calls
Refer Senate Bill 26-138 to the Committee of the Whole.
Total
7
- Yes
- 6
- No
- 1
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Reconsider
Total
7
- Yes
- 7
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Refer Senate Bill 26-138, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Total
7
- Yes
- 7
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 0
- Abstain
- 0
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 17 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from Uniform Mandates to Flexible Administrative Screening
The legislation moves health-care facilities away from a rigid single uniform application for uninsured patient screening toward optional third-party resources and questionnaires.
Connected Entities
Sources
leg.colorado.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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