House committee advances disease-control update, approves changes to school immunization rules and hepatitis C screening

House Health and Human Services Committee members voted to advance House Bill 25-1027 on a 10-2 roll call after adopting Amendment L001, which sets a 30-day statutory window for school-entry immunization compliance and makes multiple administrative changes to Colorado disease-control statutes.

The bill’s sponsors said the package is intended to streamline the state’s emergency public-health governance, reduce burdens on families and schools, and align screening requirements with current federal guidance.

Representative Brianna Gilchrist, a co-sponsor, told the committee, “This bill would improve how the state responds to disease outbreaks and other emergencies.” The measure repeals the governor’s expert emergency epidemic response committee—commonly referred to in testimony as the GURC—and transfers authorities and oversight responsibilities to existing bodies, primarily the Board of Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Diana Herrero, deputy director for disease control and public health response at CDPHE, said the change is intended to increase transparency because the Board of Health “accepts testimony from the public where the GURC does not.”

The bill…