CO HB1223

Department of Public Health and Environment must conduct or contract for a study evaluating capital needs of rural and frontier hospitals, including code compliance, facility age, and estimated renovation/replacement costs per square foot

Creates a 7-member Rural and Frontier Hospital Capital Needs Study Task Force to oversee the study, with appointments by the Governor (3 members) and legislative leaders (4 members), including hospital workers, an architect, a construction contractor, and a rural resident

Informal study by Colorado Rural Futures identified approximately $500 million in needed upgrades, with total statewide capital needs potentially reaching $1 billion

Study must be completed and reported to legislative health committees within 18 months of the task force's first meeting; implementation funded entirely by gifts, grants, and donations with no state general fund appropriation

Provisions are repealed effective July 1, 2027