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2025 Legislative Wins

CAPA is active in sponsoring legislation specific to PA practice in the state. CAPA also weighs-in on other legislation related to PA practice in line with CAPA's mission to advocate for PA practice in the state of Colorado and increasing access to quality healthcare for all Coloradans.

• 1968 – Child Health Associate legislation and certification 

• 1976 – CAPA registered with Colorado Secretary of State 

• 1983 – PAs certified in Colorado under supervision of MD 

• 1987 – PA prescriptive authority for non-scheduled drugs 

• 1992 – Bill allowing hospital staff to take orders from PAs 

• 1995 – First sunsetting of Medical Practice act – allowed for delegation of PA scheduled prescribing 

• 2002 – Graduated co-signature requirements 

• 2005 – PA member of Colorado Medical Board, increase in PA supervisees, PAs can be 49% owner of medical practices 

• 2011 – PAs can write for handicap placards 

• 2016 – Senate Bill 16-158 allowing PAs to perform functions delegated by MD within PA scope of practice 

• 2019 - House Bill 19-1095 increased MD supervisory limits from 4 PAs to 8 PAs, additional PA member on Colorado Medical Board, PA malpractice liability > 3 years equivalent to MD colleagues 

• 2020 - House Bill 20-1041 moves liability limits from Medical Practice Act to Health Care Affordability Act 

• 2021 - House Bill 21-1184 replace supervision with collaboration, authorize direct pay for PAs, defeated 5-8 in Health and Insurance Committee but Medicare approves direct pay for PAs on 1/1/22 

• 2022 – House Bill 22-1095 remove supervision from the statute and replace with collaboration, remove some confusing language concerning hours of direct observation, passed the Health and Insurance Committee 10-1, defeated on House floor 28-35 

• 2023 – Senate Bill 23-083 updates the term to describe the PA-physician relationship from supervision to collaboration, shifts collaborative plan to the practice level with continued regulation by the Colorado Medical board  

• 2024 - Senate Bill 24-018 PA License Compact 

CAPA’s presence grew larger during the 2025 Legislative Session as PAs weighed in and testified on a variety of bills that impacted their profession and patients.

• House Bill 25-1082 Authorizes PAs and NPs to sign death certificates after attesting to reviewed training materials and registered with the electronic death registration system.  

• Senate Bill 25-083, PAs can sign non-compete contracts.  

• House Bill 25-1176 Removes the Behavioral Health Treatment Stigma for Medical Providers. The bill requires the application to reflect the recommendations of the Federation of State Medical Boards and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act; and not require the disclosure of, or ask questions about, medical or health information that is not relevant to the applicant’s ability to provide safe, competent, and ethical patient care. 

• Senate bill 25-152 Expands the Medical Transparency Act to require selected medical practitioners to communicate information about their state-issued qualifications in the following ways: 

• Verbally upon first meeting a patient, when practicable via name tag
• If they are practicing at select facilities that are licensed or certified by the Department of Public Health and Environment; and 
  
• In any advertisements (including business cards and letterheads) that identify them by name 
  
• The bill also prohibits these advertisements from falsely representing any of the practitioner’s qualifications.  

• Effective July 1, 2025, Colorado's Division of Workers' Compensation removed the mandatory "Third-Visit" Rule (Rule 16-3(E)) for injured workers. An MD/DO is not required to see a patient unless the NP/PA recommends it, the MD/DO deems it necessary, or the injured worker requests it. This change empowers clinical judgment, supports timely care, and promotes flexibility for the health care team.    

Click here for more information on CAPA legislative involvement.