Colorado panel advances maternal‑health equity bill after extensive testimony; sponsors narrow language to reduce costs

Representatives Joseph and English co‑sponsored House Bill 26‑1044, the Black Maternal Health Equity Act, which the committee amended and advanced unanimously (13‑0) after more than three hours of testimony.

What the bill does (as amended):
- Requires a process to consider one continuing medical education (CME) credit hour in cultural competency and equity related to maternal care for physicians, and adds rulemaking authority for nursing training that emphasizes cultural competency; sponsors framed this as a modest, consistent requirement for clinicians whose primary practice is obstetrics.
- Authorizes CDPHE to collect structured, community‑informed survey data of birthing parents (the language was narrowed to rely on an existing survey instrument to reduce the fiscal note to zero).
- Requires health facilities that provide labor and childbirth services to provide a statement of respectful maternity care and birthing‑parent rights (electronically or in print upon request), including contact information for reporting discrimination.
- Adds a maternal health task force codified into law and retains a three‑year reporting cadence for the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to protect privacy and data quality.
- Struck a proposed investigation/penalty provision that had driven a large fiscal note; sponsors said removing that section made the bill fiscally viable and widened stakeholder support.

Committee testimony: The hearing included multiple panels of witnesses: affected mothers who described being dismissed in clinical settings, doulas and community groups (Mahogany Mothers Circle, Sister 2 Sister), students and associations (Colorado PTA), clinicians, hospital associations and quality‑improvement organizations. Testimony emphasized that Black birthing parents experience higher rates of pregnancy‑related mortality and severe maternal morbidity, that discrimination contributes to preventable deaths, and that culturally specific training, community representation and data collection are practical steps to improve outcomes.

Amendments and votes: Sponsors offered and the committee adopted several amendments (L001–L005) to focus CME rulemaking, require birthing‑rights statements, remove the fiscal‑heavy investigation enforcement language, and preserve the task force with adjusted reporting. The committee voted 13‑0 to advance HB26‑1044 as amended to the Committee of the Whole.

What’s next: The bill will be considered by the Committee of the Whole. Sponsors said they view the package as a negotiated, data‑driven step to reduce measurable inequities and urged continued stakeholder engagement to refine implementation.