ColoradoDesignating Emergency Medical Services Essential Services
What it does
The act declares emergency medical services as an essential service in the state and an integral part of the state's health-care infrastructure. The act also declares that emergency medical service providers, whether responding on duty or as a volunteer and regardless of location, provide essential services when providing emergency ambulance services and nonemergency ambulance services. The act also updates certain definitions related to emergency medical services, including the addition of a definition of 'out-of-hospital services', which term is defined to mean the furnishing of necessary health-care goods and services outside of a hospital setting but does not include prehospital setting transports.
More detail
The act clarifies that an off-duty emergency medical service provider is not obligated to respond to the scene of a medical emergency or provide emergency medical services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 5Governor Jared Polis SignedBecame Law
- Apr 28Signed by the Speaker of the HouseMajor
- Apr 28Signed by the President of the SenateMajor
- Apr 28Sent to the GovernorTo Governor
- Apr 7Senate Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsMajor
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 6Senate Second Reading Passed - No AmendmentsMinor
- Apr 6Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/02/2026 - No Amendments
- Apr 1Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the WholeMinor
- Vote recorded Refer House Bill 26-1238 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 17Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human ServicesMinor
- Mar 12House Third Reading Passed - No AmendmentsPassed Senate
- Vote recorded BILL. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 11House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
- Mar 11House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - FloorPassed House
- Mar 6House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- Mar 3House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the WholeMinor
- Vote recorded Refer House Bill 26-1238, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.006 (Attachment B). Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt amendment L.005 (Attachment A). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 18Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human ServicesIntroduced