Senate adopts bill letting doctors hold cancer and genetic test results up to 72 hours

Senate Bill 162, which allows health care providers to hold oncology and genetic test results for up to 72 hours before posting them to patient portals, was adopted by the Colorado Senate on April 28, 2026.

Sponsor Senator Frizzell described her own experience receiving a bone‑scan report late at night and said the immediate portal posting required by the 21st Century Cures Act can cause “two weeks of total chaos” for patients who read complex medical terminology without a clinician present. "You can wait 72 hours," she said on the floor, describing the bill's central provision that gives clinicians time to discuss results in person or by phone.

Advocates framed the measure as a patient‑safety and patient‑centered adjustment that preserves the core transparency goals of federal law while allowing providers time to interpret results. Supporters noted that several other states have adopted similar narrow exceptions for sensitive oncology and genetic testing results. The Colorado Medical Society and the Colorado Oncology Society were cited in debate as supporters of the change.

Senator Malacca also urged passage, saying the bill translates lived experience into policy that reduces unnecessary stress for patients while keeping portals available for routine results. The bill passed after adoption of committee reports and was recorded as adopted on voice vote.

Next steps: the measure will proceed through the remaining enrollment and transmittal steps required for the governor's consideration.