As you may have seen in the news, Gov. Polis has called for a special session of the Colorado legislature. This special session will begin Aug. 21, and is primarily in response to passage of the federal H.R. 1, which makes significant changes to federal funding for some public programs including Medicaid, and makes changes to tax policy.
The governor indicated the special session will address a budget gap of approximately $1.2 billion for the state, that the governor indicates was caused by the federal legislation. Gov. Polis has asked the Legislature to meet in special session to address this budget challenge, as well as to address concerns with the state’s AI law that goes into effect in February. In 2024, the state legislature passed a first-in-the-nation anti-discrimination bill for AI systems, and while Gov. Polis signed that bill into law, he now believes the law must be amended to be simpler and less expensive for businesses and governments to implement the new requirements.
The CDA will closely monitor the fiscal and policy discussions during special session, particularly those related to Medicaid, and will engage as needed through our lobbyists and government relations director. CDA will advocate for maintaining funding for Medicaid dental services amidst heightened uncertainty for future sustainability of Medicaid programming. CDA will also track the conversations related to AI legislation, and how that may impact dentistry in the future.
