§ 25-4-2206 — Health equity commission - creation - repeal

(1) There is
hereby created in the office the health equity commission. The purpose of the
commission is to serve as an advisor to the office on health equity issues,
specifically focusing on alignment, education, and capacity-building for state and
local health programs and community-based organizations. The commission shall
be dedicated to promoting health equity and eliminating health disparities.

(2) (a) The commission consists of the following twenty-three members, who
are as follows:

(I) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member of
the house of representatives;

(II) The president of the senate shall appoint one member of the senate;

(III) The executive director of the department shall appoint ten members who
represent, to the extent practical, Colorado's diverse ethnic, racial, sexual
orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, aging population,
socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds. Each individual appointed to the
commission must have demonstrated expertise in at least one, and preferably two,
of the following areas:

(A) African American, Black, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native
American, Hispanic, Latino, aging population, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
disabled, low socioeconomic status, and geographic community health issues;

(B) Data collection, aggregation, or dissemination;

(C) Education;

(D) Housing;

(E) Healthy community design;

(F) Community engagement;

(G) Local public health;

(H) Nonprofits, foundation, or grant-making;

(I) Environmental health;

(J) Behavioral health;

(J.5) Midwifery; or

(K) The provision of health-care services;

(IV) The executive director of the department, or the executive director's
designee, shall serve as an ex officio member of the commission;

(V) The executive director of the department of human services, or the
executive director's designee;

(VI) The executive director of the department of health care policy and
financing, or the executive director's designee;

(VII) The executive director of the department of labor and employment, or
the executive director's designee;

(VIII) The executive director of the department of local affairs, or the
executive director's designee;

(IX) The executive director of the department of transportation, or the
executive director's designee;

(X) The executive director of the department of public safety, or the
executive director's designee;

(XI) The commissioner of education of the department of education, or the
commissioner's designee;

(XII) The executive director of the department of corrections, or the
executive director's designee;

(XIII) The executive director of the department of higher education, or the
executive director's designee;

(XIV) The executive director of the department of early childhood, or the
executive director's designee; and

(XV) The commissioner of the behavioral health administration in the
department of human services, or the commissioner's designee.

(b) The members of the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the
appointing authority. Except as otherwise provided in section 2-2-326, C.R.S., the
members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be
reimbursed by the department for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties pursuant to this part 22.

(c) The members of the commission shall elect a chair and vice-chair from
among its membership.

(3) The commission has the following powers and duties:

(a) Providing a formal mechanism for the public to give input to the office;

(b) Advising the department through the office on:

(I) Determining innovative data collection and dissemination strategies;

(II) Aligning the department's health equity efforts and the health disparities
and community grant program created in section 25-4-2203;

(III) Strengthening collaborative partnerships with communities impacted by
health disparities to identify and promote health equity strategies; and

(IV) Promoting workforce diversity;

(c) Repealed.

(d) Making recommendations to the office and the department on the health
disparities and community grant program created in section 25-4-2203, regarding
financial support for local and statewide initiatives that address prevention, early
detection, needs assessment, and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease,
including diabetes, and pulmonary disease in minority populations.

(4) (a) The office shall provide staff to the commission.

(b) In addition to any other duties, under the direction of the commission,
commission staff shall determine, in accordance with applicable federal and state
data privacy laws, rules, and regulations and federal contracts, the scope of data
and the manner of data sharing for purposes of required reporting concerning
health disparities and inequities pursuant to section 25-4-2205 (2.5), in order to
minimize duplication and to protect sensitive or personally identifying information.

(5) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2029. Prior to the repeal
of this section, the commission is subject to review as provided in section 2-3-1203.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2007: Entire section added, p. 906, � 3, effective May 15. L. 2013: (1), (2)(a), IP(3), (3)(a), (3)(b), and (5) amended and (3)(c) repealed, (HB 13-1088), ch. 25, p. 62, � 6, effective August 7. L. 2014: (2)(b) amended, (SB 14-153), ch. 390, p. 1964, � 22, effective June 6. L. 2016: (5) amended, (HB 16-1192), ch. 83, p. 235, � 20, effective April 14. L. 2017: (5) amended, (SB 17-294), ch. 264, p. 1408, � 87, effective May 25. L. 2021: IP(2)(a), (2)(a)(IV), (2)(a)(V), (2)(a)(VI), (3)(b)(II), and (3)(d) amended and (2)(a)(VII), (2)(a)(VIII), (2)(a)(IX), (2)(a)(X), (2)(a)(XI), (2)(a)(XII), and (2)(a)(XIII) added, (SB 21-181), ch. 429, p. 2842, � 6, effective July 6; IP(2)(a)(III) amended, (HB 21-1108), ch. 156, p. 896, � 38, effective September 7. L. 2022: (4) amended, (HB 22-1157), ch. 321, p. 2274, � 3, effective June 2. L. 2023: IP(2)(a), (2)(a)(XII), and (2)(a)(XIII) amended and (2)(a)(XV) added, (HB 23-1236), ch. 206, p. 1053, � 9, effective May 16; IP(2)(a), (2)(a)(XII), and (2)(a)(XIII) amended and (2)(a)(XIV) added, (HB 23-1235), ch. 434, p. 2554, � 21, effective June 7; (5) amended, (SB 23-151), ch. 204, p. 1041, � 2, effective August 7. L. 2024: IP(2)(a)(III) and (2)(a)(III)(J) amended and (2)(a)(III)(J.5) added, (HB 24-1262), ch. 393, p. 2712, � 6, effective June 4.