Repeal Medicaid Reimbursement for Equine Therapy

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED HOUSE BILL 26-1365 LLS NO. 26-0926.01 Shelby Ross x4510 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Brown and Sirota, Taggart SENATE SPONSORSHIP Amabile and Kirkmeyer, Bridges House Committees Senate Committees Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING REPEALING MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR THERAPY USING EQUINE MOVEMENT, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION.

Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov/.) Joint Budget Committee. Current law authorizes medicaid reimbursement for therapy using equine movement provided by a licensed physical therapist, a licensed occupational therapist, or a certified speech-language pathologist. The bill repeals this provision and reduces the 2026-27 appropriation to the department of health care policy and Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law. Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

financing by $181,514.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, repeal 25.5-5-332.

SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, to implement this act, the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of health care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services for medicaid-eligible individuals is decreased by $181,514, which is subject to the "(M)" notation as defined in the annual general appropriation act for the same fiscal year.

(2) The decrease of the appropriation in subsection (1) of this section is based on the assumption that the anticipated amount of federal funds received for the 2026-27 state fiscal year by the department of health care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services for medicaid-eligible individuals will decrease by $181,514.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year if:

(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of health care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services for medicaid-eligible individuals is less than the amount of the adjustment required in subsection (1) of this section; or

(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of health care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services for medicaid-eligible individuals.

SECTION 3. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;

except that section 2 of this act takes effect only if the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which case section 2 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever is later.

SECTION 4.

Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.