HB 25-1017

House Bill 25-1017, also known as the Community Integration Plan for Individuals with Disabilities, requires Colorado’s Disability Opportunity Office to create a plan that ensures people with disabilities have opportunities to live and work in their communities rather than institutions. The bill mandates that public entities provide necessary services to support this goal and assess any potential negative impacts if they reduce these services. It also allocates $658,410 from the disability support fund to help implement this plan. Since the bill has been signed into law, it is now in effect and will guide how Colorado supports individuals with disabilities over the next few years.

Official Summary

The act directs the Colorado disability opportunity office to develop a comprehensive community integration plan (plan) for implementing its obligation to provide qualified individuals with disabilities with opportunities to live, work, and be served in the least restrictive settings possible. The act requires the plan to include specified elements and that the plan must be reviewed and updated every 3 years. The act establishes that public and governmental entities (entities) shall administer services, programs, and activities in the most integrated setting that is appropriate to the needs of individuals with disabilities. The act establishes when entities are required to provide home- and community-based services (services) to qualified individuals with disabilities. If an entity cuts services, the act requires the entity to assess whether the service cut increases the risk of institutionalization for qualified individuals with a disability receiving services. An entity is not required to comply with the provisions of the act if it can establish that doing so would require a fundamental alteration of its program. The act does not create a new private right of action for entities that fail to comply with it and does not create a standard different than federal law. The bill appropriates $658,410 from the disability support fund to the department of labor and employment for the Colorado disability opportunity office to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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