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Senate committee advances bill to license ABA practitioners and clinics
Summary
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced House Bill 14-25 to Appropriations after sponsors and state witnesses argued the bill will create a licensing board, require practitioner and clinic oversight, and address gaps in complaint and discipline authority for applied behavior analysis services.
Senator Doherty moved House Bill 14-25 forward after describing it as a measure to create a Colorado Behavior Analyst Licensing Board under the Department of Regulatory Agencies and to require licensing for behavior analysts and clinics.
The bill would establish a five‑member board (three licensed behavior analysts, one licensed assistant behavior analyst and one public member), require practitioner licensing beginning July 1, 2028, allow technicians to practice under supervision while they pursue licensure, and create a facility license for ABA clinics under Title 26, sponsors said. "This bill addresses a critical gap in Colorado's oversight of applied behavior analysis services," Senator Doherty said.
Tom Miller, director of the Office of Children, Aging & Community Services at the Colorado Department of Human Services, told the committee the department supports the bill and emphasized the facility‑licensure component. He said the department estimates roughly "410 to 500 unlicensed ABA clinics operating across Colorado today" and reported the department had received "92 separate complaints on 15 different unlicensed ABA clinics that we have been unable to investigate due to not having the statutory authority to license or oversee these clinics." Miller said the licensure authority would allow CDHS to license, monitor and oversee day‑to‑day clinic operations and would require staffing to carry out that oversight.
A representative of the Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis, testifying for providers, urged approval and said the measure establishes professional and facility licensure, training requirements for behavior technicians serving Medicaid beneficiaries and a complaint process. "This bill represents a critical step forward for individuals, families and providers in Colorado," the representative said.
A witness identifying herself as Hilary Jorgensen, an executive director speaking for a disability‑advocacy organization as stated in her testimony, said families had reported abuse at unlicensed centers and urged the committee to pass the bill. Sponsors repeatedly framed the measure as protecting children and families while phasing in requirements for current practitioners.
Senator Doherty moved the bill to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation. The committee approved the motion and sent HB 14‑25 onward.
