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Colorado Senate adopts bill to codify emergency-room protections mirroring federal EMTALA
Summary
The Senate passed Senate Bill 130 to add state law requirements for emergency medical screening, treatment and transfer protocols, aligning with long-standing federal EMTALA protections. Sponsors said the measure preserves access to emergency care; opponents warned it could burden rural hospitals and providers.
The Colorado Senate on April 22 passed Senate Bill 130, a measure that places into state law requirements for emergency medical screening, stabilization, transfer and discharge that sponsors said mirror federal protections under EMTALA.
Senator Janet Weisman, the bill sponsor, told the chamber the law’s core principle is simple: treat first, then address payment. "Treat first. First do no harm," Weisman said during debate, describing provisions that bar hospitals from delaying required emergency medical services to inquire about a patient’s ability to pay.
The bill creates a new section in Title 25 to set threshold duties for regulated health-care facilities, requires recordkeeping and non‑discrimination statements, protects providers who refuse unsafe transfers, and spells out procedures for appropriate transfers…
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