Host Home for People with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Summary
HB1147 concerns processes related to host homes and other individual residential services and supports settings for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The bill defines these settings in statute, recognizes them as a form of home- and community-based residential support, and directs the state department to create a statewide database to improve transparency about covered settings and their associated service provider agencies.
The database must collect and periodically update basic identifying and contact information for each covered setting and its current and prior service provider agencies, beginning in mid-2026. The bill also authorizes the department to determine what information may be shared with the public, while protecting privacy and prohibiting public disclosure of identifying information for family-member homes. It preserves participants’ rights to informed choice and does not reduce existing disability-service rights. The bill also clarifies that these settings are treated as residential property for local regulation purposes, limiting local governments from imposing extra rules that do not apply to other residential properties, and includes a $20,000 general fund appropriation plus anticipated federal funds to implement the act.
Impact
The bill amends Colorado statutes governing developmental disability services, including definitions in the Medicaid/home- and community-based services framework and rules for community residential homes. It creates a new statutory section requiring a statewide database for individual residential services and supports settings, establishes reporting and update duties for service provider agencies and the state department, and authorizes rulemaking and interagency coordination with the Department of Public Health and Environment. It also limits local regulatory treatment of these settings by requiring them to be treated as residential property for zoning, land use, fire/life safety, sanitation, and building code purposes, and bars additional local regulations that do not apply to other residential properties.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment appears generally supportive, with the bill advancing through committee and receiving strong approval for its amendments and final passage in the House. The vote history suggests broad backing for the transparency and oversight goals, though not unanimous. The absence of committee transcript discussion limits direct insight into debate, but the bill’s progression indicates that most legislators viewed it as a needed update to improve accountability and information-sharing in host home and related residential settings.
Contention
The main points of contention likely involve the balance between transparency and privacy, and between state oversight and local control. The bill allows public access to some database information but restricts disclosure of identifying information for family homes and leaves details to department rules, which may raise concerns among privacy advocates and providers. Another likely issue is the preemption of local regulation: by limiting additional local requirements on these residential settings, the bill may concern local governments or residents who want more authority over zoning, safety, or land-use standards. The 8-5 committee vote on referral suggests some disagreement, even though amendments themselves were adopted unanimously.