HB 25-1026

House Bill 25-1026, which was vetoed by the governor but is now signed into law, removes a requirement for inmates in Colorado's Department of Corrections to pay copayments for medical, dental, mental health, and optometric care. The bill also stops the department from charging fees when an inmate misses or refuses a healthcare appointment. This change will affect how the state manages inmate healthcare costs, reducing appropriations by $165,682 overall. Despite being signed, since it was vetoed, there might be ongoing discussions or legal challenges regarding its implementation.

Official Summary

Current law requires the department of corrections (department) to assess a copayment for inmate-initiated visits to providers of medical, dental, mental health, and optometric care services. Current law permits a waiver or reduction of the copayment under a range of circumstances. The department's current administrative regulations assess fees when an inmate fails to attend or refuses a scheduled health-care appointment. The act eliminates the copayment and prohibits the department from assessing a fee when an inmate fails to attend or refuses a health-care appointment. The department is required to report during its 2026 "SMART Act" hearing on the number of times in the previous year that an inmate failed to attend a scheduled health-care appointment or requested an appointment when the request was not relevant to an actual medical condition. The act reduces appropriations to the department by a net of $165,682, which includes an increase of $157,179 appropriated from the general fund and a decrease of $322,861 from cash funds. VETOED by Governor 5/29/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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