Senate Bill 18-231 Transition Planning Task Force

Background

On May 30, 2018 the Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 18-231 into law. The bill establishes a Task Force "composed of interested parties to determine what can be done to ease the transition from the educational setting and inform the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing of the number of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who may be in need of services in any year" [SB 18-231, Section 1(1)(e)]. The bill is designed to address the fact that "children with disabilities and their parents experience difficulties in transitioning from receiving services in the educational setting to receiving services through the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing" [SB 18-231, Section 1(1)(c)]. The Departments of Education and Health Care Policy and Financing are collaborating on the implementation of this bill.

Task Force Information

The Task Force is charged with submitting a report by January 2, 2019, of its findings and recommendations to the Health and Human Services Committee of the Colorado Senate, the Public Health and Human Services Committee of the Colorado House of Representatives, and the Colorado Joint Budget Committee, or any successor committees.

Task Force Members

In compliance with SB 18-231, the following member appointments have been made. The member category descriptions come from the legislation:

Rhonda Berry (A parent or guardian of a student with an intellectual and developmental disability, appointed by the Colorado Commissioner of Education)

David Bolin, Accent on Independence (Representative of an approved service agency, appointed by the Director of the Office of Community Living)

Jon Paul Burden, Consortium of Special Education Directors (Representative of a statewide organization of practicing Special Education Directors, appointed by that organization)

Matt Cook, Colorado Association of School Boards (Representative of a statewide organization of school boards, appointed by that organization)

Joan LaBelle (A person with an intellectual and developmental disability, appointed the Executive Director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing)

Colin Laughlin, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Designee of the Director of the Office of Community Living)

Gail Lott, Colorado Department of Education (Designee of the Colorado Commissioner of Education)

Jennifer Martinez, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Designee of the Executive Director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing)

Abigail Negley, The Arc of Colorado (Representative of a statewide organization advocating for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, approved by the organization)

Rachel Tomlin, The Resource Exchange (Representative of Community Centered Boards, appointed by the Director of the Office of Community Living)

Kelly Wilson (Provider of Mediciad Services under Part 10, appointed by the Director of the Office of Community Living)

Comments and questions to the Task Force members can be sent to the Project Coordinator:

Lorez Meinhold, Keystone Institute

lmeinhold@keystone.org

970-513-5805

720-971-7912

Task Force Final Report

The Transition Task Force submitted its Final Report on January 2, 2019. The Final Report can be found on the Department's Legislator Resource Center webpage, in the Reports section.