Senate Bill 15-275 Summary

• Establishes that members of the general assembly may receive confidential information during official duties and are encouraged to use such information when necessary for legislative decisions and voting on legislation.

• Directs the governor and state agencies to consider the general assembly and its members a health oversight agency under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 when members receive individually identifiable health information.

• Requires general assembly members who receive confidential information, including health information, to keep it confidential and use it only for official legislative purposes connected to consideration of official actions.

• Amends whistleblower protection law to allow state employees to provide information to general assembly members without fear of retaliatory disciplinary action, and requires legislators to deny public inspection of confidential information received from employees.

• Takes effect upon passage and applies retroactively to any information given by state employees to general assembly members before or after the effective date.