POLICY & LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT

Advocacy

NCRETAC monitors state and federal legislation that affects emergency medical and trauma services across northeast Colorado. This page tracks active bills, explains their impact on rural systems of care, and provides context for agencies, clinicians, and policymakers in the region.

Why This Matters for Rural Colorado

State and federal policy decisions directly shape how emergency and trauma care is delivered across the nine-county region. Reimbursement rules, scope of practice, data reporting requirements, workforce programs, and governance structures are all set or influenced by legislation. For rural and frontier communities, the stakes are higher than average: low call volumes, limited tax bases, and long transport distances leave little margin when policy gets it wrong.

NCRETAC has the largest county footprint of any RETAC in Colorado. That breadth gives the organization a distinct and credible voice at the Capitol and in federal discussions, one that reflects the operational reality of systems ranging from a volunteer frontier service to a high-volume urban EMS agency within the same region.

Advocacy positions presented here reflect NCRETAC’s assessment of system impact. They are informational in nature. NCRETAC does not endorse political candidates or parties. All bill status information reflects conditions as of the most recent update and may change as legislation moves.

Colorado: Active Legislation

The following bills are currently active or recently resolved in the Colorado legislature. Status and impact summaries are updated as the session progresses.

Passed Both Chambers: Awaiting Governor

EMS Essential Services Bill

A bill establishing EMS as an essential service in Colorado has passed both chambers of the legislature and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. This is a significant milestone for EMS governance in Colorado and a direct result of sustained regional and statewide advocacy over several sessions.

Why this matters for rural EMS: Essential service designation creates a policy foundation for stable funding and formal recognition that EMS cannot be treated as an optional service, particularly in rural communities where there is no backup provider.

Status as of April 2026. Check current status at leg.colorado.gov ›

HB 26-1069: Statewide EMS Policy

Status: Moving through the legislature as of April 2026

This bill contains provisions NCRETAC both supports and monitors closely. Broadly supported provisions include Medicaid reimbursement for treatment without transport and telemedicine-assisted field care, both positive developments for rural Colorado.

A separate provision would significantly reduce the role of SEMTAC, the State Emergency Medical and Trauma Services Advisory Council. Under current law, SEMTAC must formally approve new EMS rules before they take effect. This bill would replace that approval authority with an advisory role and place SEMTAC under direct CDPHE supervision.

NCRETAC’s concern: the existing SEMTAC structure gives practitioners, hospitals, medical directors, and community leaders across the region a formal voice in statewide EMS policy before it becomes binding. Removing that approval authority reduces accountability and regional input into rules that govern care delivery across places as different as Jackson County and Weld County.

Why this matters for rural EMS: NCRETAC has the most counties of any RETAC in Colorado and the strongest regional representation on SEMTAC. Weakening SEMTAC’s authority disproportionately affects rural regions whose operational realities are least understood at the state level.

Read HB 26-1069 ›

SB 26-053: First Responder Homeownership

Status: Signed into law, April 2026

Expands mortgage assistance eligibility to include peace officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other public safety professionals. Addresses a documented barrier to workforce recruitment and retention for first responder agencies.

Why this matters for rural EMS: Recruiting and retaining EMS providers in rural Colorado is difficult when housing costs in communities served by larger agencies are prohibitive. Expanding homeownership assistance is a concrete workforce sustainability measure.

Read SB 26-053 ›

SB 26-070: Location Data Privacy

Status: In Senate Appropriations as of April 2026

Addresses the collection and use of location data, with implications for emergency dispatch and response systems. Agencies should understand how this bill may affect data practices in their operations.

Read SB 26-070 ›

SB 26-138: Reducing Administrative Burdens on Health Care

Status: Senate Health & Human Services as of April 2026

Requires all healthcare-related administrative rules to be reviewed every five years for efficiency, accuracy, and continued relevance.

Why this matters for rural EMS: Outdated regulations create compliance costs that fall harder on small rural agencies with limited administrative capacity.

Read SB 26-138 ›

Bill status reflects conditions as of April 2026. Legislation moves quickly during the final weeks of session. Verify current status at leg.colorado.gov.

Funding Context

Understanding how RETAC funding works is foundational to understanding why advocacy matters. Colorado’s EMS and trauma system is funded primarily through the Highway User Tax Fund (HUTF), with RETAC allocations set by statute. RETAC base funding has not changed since 2000 despite significant inflation, increased operational demands, and expanded system responsibilities.

1989

HUTF EMS Account created with a $1 surcharge. 60% to EMS provider grants, 20% to counties, 20% to CDPHE.

2000

ATACs became RETACs. Statute set RETAC base funding at $75,000 plus $15,000 per county. County-specific subsidy funding ceased.

2001

NCRETAC formed as the first RETAC in Colorado. The other regional councils followed shortly after.

2010

HUTF surcharge increased to $2. Total state HUTF funds reached approximately $10 million. RETAC funding remained unchanged from 2000 levels.

NCRETAC’s annual state funding covers coordination, planning, data analysis, injury prevention, professional education, and committee operations. Most EMS services in the region remain structurally underfunded relative to their operational needs, particularly for readiness, training, and workforce development. NCRETAC advocates for funding reform that reflects current system demands and the true cost of sustaining rural emergency care.

Track Legislation

EMSAC maintains a full list of bills under review during the current session. If your agency is not yet tracking Colorado EMS legislation, the EMSAC bill tracker is a practical starting point.

View the EMSAC Bill Tracker ›

Colorado Legislature: leg.colorado.gov ›

Contact NCRETAC about advocacy: [email protected] | (970) 580-2668