Colorado § 25-4-2201 Legislative declaration

Colorado Statutes

§ 25-4-2201 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 25-4-2201

Title 25Public

Art.Disease Control

This text of Colorado § 25-4-2201 (Legislative declaration) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-4-2201 (2026).

Text

(1)The general assembly hereby finds that:

(a)Although Colorado as a whole is a healthy state, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, who represent over twenty-five percent of the population, are disproportionately impacted by disease, injury, disability, and death;

(b)Compared to the state average:

(I)African Americans have a twenty-five percent higher death rate from heart disease, a twenty-eight percent higher death rate from stroke, a thirty percent higher death rate from breast cancer, a fifty percent higher death rate from colon cancer, and nearly twice the death rate from diabetes;

(II)Hispanics have approximately twice the incidence of cervical cancer, a fifty percent higher death rate from cervical cancer, and approximately twice the death rate from d

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(1) The general assembly hereby finds
that:

(a) Although Colorado as a whole is a healthy state, African Americans,
Hispanics, and Native Americans, who represent over twenty-five percent of the
population, are disproportionately impacted by disease, injury, disability, and death;

(b) Compared to the state average:

(I) African Americans have a twenty-five percent higher death rate from
heart disease, a twenty-eight percent higher death rate from stroke, a thirty
percent higher death rate from breast cancer, a fifty percent higher death rate from
colon cancer, and nearly twice the death rate from diabetes;

(II) Hispanics have approximately twice the incidence of cervical cancer, a
fifty percent higher death rate from cervical cancer, and approximately twice the
death rate from diabetes;

(III) Hispanics are fourteen and one-half percent less likely to be screened
for cervical cancer and both African Americans and Hispanics are, respectively,
twenty-eight percent and thirty-nine percent less likely to be screened for colon
cancer.

(1.5) The general assembly hereby determines and declares that:

(a) Understanding the root causes of health disparities includes recognizing
that health starts in our homes, schools, and communities;

(b) Vulnerable populations that are currently identified by race, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability status, aging
population, and socioeconomic status, among others, experience poorer health
status outcomes; and

(c) Mounting evidence demonstrates that factors such as economic,
physical, and social environment play a significant role in health, and if addressed,
can create better health outcomes.

(2) Therefore, the general assembly hereby declares that it is in the best
interests of the state to establish a health disparities and community grant program
to provide prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular
and pulmonary diseases to underrepresented populations.

(3) The general assembly finds that modifying the duties and structure of
the office of health disparities to become the office of health equity reflects the
recent advancements in the field of health by broadening the scope of the office to
include the economic, physical, and social environment, and offers a more inclusive
approach to eliminating health disparities for all Coloradans.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2005: Entire part added, p. 941, � 29, effective June 2. L. 2013: (1.5) and (3) added and (2) amended, (HB 13-1088), ch. 25, p. 59, � 1, effective August 7. L. 2021: (2) amended, (SB 21-181), ch. 429, p. 2840, � 2, effective July 6; (1.5)(b) amended, (HB 21-1108), ch. 156, p. 895, � 36, effective September 7.