Bill Information last updated- March 17

HB04-1251 A bill regulating mental health professionals.

Currently, medical professionals and police officers are allowed to place a 72-hour hold on a person who, for mental health reasons, is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. A 72-hour hold detains a person against their will in a medical facility. The bill, as it is, allows one person to place a hold. Representative Lundberg attempted to amend the bill to allow one person to place the mentally ill person in custody, but required a second opinion before placing a person against his or her will in a medical facility for 72 hours.

Representative Lundberg offered this amendment out of concern for the private rights of individuals. Under current statutes, officials are able to detain an individual with little accountability. This amendment would have simply required one additional qualified professional to concur before holding the individual against their will. This amendment ultimately failed.

HB04-1251 passed on 3rd Reading in the House on March 9, 2004. It was introduced in the Senate on March 10, 2004 and assigned to the Senate Health, Environment, Welfare and Institutions Committee. The bill has since passed through the Senate, and the House is now considering Senate amendments.

HB04-1203 A bill concerning limitations on the power of governmental entities to restirct the rights of properety owners.


This bill would, in connection with the powers of eminent domain of governmental entities, prohibits private property acquired by such entities after the effective date of the act from being subsequently transferred to a private party. Prohibits private property acquired by an urban renewal authority after the effective date of the act from being subsequently transferred to a private party.

This bill was heard in the house Information and Technology Committee on February 23, 2004 and passed amended back to the Committee of the Whole. On March 12, it was re-refurred to the Information and Technology Committee. It has since been passed by the House and will be heard by Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday, April 14.


HB04-1315 A bill concerning students' rights in higher education.

This bill recognizes students' rights to academic freedom, rights to freedom from discrimination on the basis of political or religious beliefs, and rights to information concerning grievance procedures for protection of their academic freedoms. Directs the governing boards of the state institutions of higher education to adopt a grievance procedure for use in enforcing students' rights.

This bill was heard in the House Education Committee on February 25, 2004 and passed amended back to the Committee of the Whole. It is currently awaiting 2nd Reading in the House.


HB04-1375 A bill concerning limitations on education alternative sexual lifestyles.

This bill would Prohibit a school district from providing instruction relating to sexual lifestyles that are alternative to heterosexual relationships, except in the context of instruction concerning the risk and prevention of sexually transmitted disease.

This bill passed out of the House and is now awaiting action in the Senate Education Committee.

SB04-139 A bill that would notify parents of child immunizations.

This bill would authorize the department of public health and environment ("department") or the department's contractor to, at the request of a health care provider, directly contact a parent or legal guardian for the purpose of notifying the parent or legal guardian of immunizations if immunizations are due or overdue as determined by the health care provider. Encourages health care providers who dispense publicly funded vaccines to use a reminder and recall process, except in the event of a vaccine shortage.

This bill was heard in the House Information and Technology Committee on Wednesday, March 10, where it was postponed indefinitely.