HB 21-1005: Health Care Services Reserve Corps Task Force

• Creates a Health Care Services Reserve Corps Task Force within the Department of Public Health and Environment consisting of 10-11 voting members representing paramedics, nurses, physicians, physician assistants, hospitals, health insurance, public health officials, and plaintiff's attorneys, with at least one rural representative.

• Task force must meet at least bimonthly starting no later than January 1, 2022, and evaluate the creation of a Colorado health care services reserve corps program enabling medical professionals to receive cross-training for emergency response in exchange for student debt relief or other benefits.

• Task force shall make findings and recommendations on program structure including types of medical professionals eligible, emergency types, legal barriers, training requirements, deployment procedures, liability protections, insurance coverage, and the specific benefits offered to participants.

• Appropriates $75,118 to the Department of Public Health and Environment for fiscal year 2021-22 to support task force operations, including 0.4 FTE staff support.

• Task force must submit final report to legislature by December 1, 2023, and the statute repeals effective September 1, 2024.