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Committee advances bill to merge two children's waivers and preserve services for 25,100 children
Summary
House Bill 1003 would merge the Children's Home and Community Based Services waiver and the Children with Life‑Limiting Illness waiver into a new Children with Complex Health Needs waiver to preserve federal authority and services for about 25,100 children; the committee passed the bill 13-0 after stakeholder-driven technical amendments.
House Bill 1003, sponsored by Representatives Stewart and Brooks, would establish state authority for a new Children with Complex Health Needs (CW CHN) waiver by merging the Children's Home and Community Based Services (CHCBS) waiver with the Children with Life‑Limiting Illness (CLLI) waiver. The House Health & Human Services Committee voted 13-0 to advance the bill after adopting sponsor amendments.
Why it matters: Department of Health Care Policy and Financing witnesses said a core CHCBS service is transitioning into the state plan under Community First Choice. Once that service moves out of the waiver, the department cannot maintain the CHCBS waiver's federal authority with the remaining benefit alone. If federal waiver authority lapses, some children could lose access to critical waiver services or Health First Colorado (Medicaid) coverage, the department warned. HB 1003 would preserve federal waiver authority by creating the CW CHN waiver and preserve access for roughly 25,100 children currently served.
Key testimony and details
- Lana Eggers of the Office of Community Living (Health Care Policy & Financing) said the CHCBS in‑home support services will transition to Community First Choice in July; without the merged waiver in place by July 1 the state risks losing the federal authority that supports CHCBS members.
- Parent testimony described clinical and developmental benefits from services that would be preserved by the merged waiver. Mariah Gillespie told the committee that music therapy and counseling have been "transformative" for her daughters and urged lawmakers to avoid forcing families to choose among services.
- Stakeholder engagement: sponsors said they convened a large stakeholder meeting with about 150 participants and incorporated feedback; sponsor amendments changed language to "children with complex health needs" and extended transition timing to avoid disrupting families.
Amendments and committee action
The committee adopted two sponsor amendments: L001 renaming and clarifying statutory terminology to "children with complex health needs," and L002 extending a transition window to ensure no child loses services during roll‑out. The department and sponsors said the bill carries no fiscal impact because costs were accommodated in prior budget adjustments tied to the Community First Choice implementation. The committee moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation, 13-0.
Ending
Supporters framed the bill as a technical and protective step to preserve waiver services and federal funding for medically complex children and their families. Lawmakers signaled broad bipartisan support and praised stakeholder engagement and the absence of a new fiscal note.
