Affordable and Effective Healthcare For All
In Colorado, health care is simply too expensive for most families. Access to quality health care is essential for Colorado families to live safe, vibrant, and happy lives. Health care is a human right. I plan to build on the progress we have already made at the state legislature. I have sponsored legislation to expand mental health care access, support rural hospitals and pharmacies, strengthen emergency medical services, and increase transparency in health care pricing.
My 2026 Sponsored Legislation:
HB26-1238: Designating Emergency Medical Services Essential Services
This law strengthens EMS funding by designating it an essential state service and enabling emergency fund support during declared disasters.
HB26-1305: Licensing of Behavioral Health Facilities
We expanded access to mental health care by streamlining licensing for remote psychiatric facilities.
HB26-1058: Protections for Minors Featured in Digital Content
We protected children in online content by securing their earnings in trust, allowing content removal at adulthood and holding platforms accountable for exploitation.
My 2025 Sponsored Legislation:
SB25-191: Cardiac Emergency Plans for School Sports
This law requires high school students to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at athletic venues. With sudden cardiac arrest being the leading cause of death among student athletes, these changes will help schools implement live-saving measures more efficiently.
SB25-078: Nonprofit Hospitals Collaborative Agreements
This bipartisan law allows nonprofit, small hospitals to enter into collaborative agreements with other hospitals to increase patient healthcare access.
HB25-1223: Capital Needs of Rural Hospitals
This bipartisan law directs the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to conduct a study of capital needs for rural and frontier hospitals throughout the state.
HB25-1222: Preserving Access to Rural Independent Pharmacies
This bipartisan law supports our rural pharmacies to stay open by ensuring Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBMs) reimburse them fairly and thus keep our life-saving prescriptions affordable.
My 2024 Sponsored Legislation:
SB24-221: Funding for Rural Health Care
This bipartisan law provides additional funding to help higher education institutions expand their rural health care programs, offer more scholarships and help grow an interest in rural health care through outreach efforts to students.
SB24-080: Transparency in Health Care Coverage
This law requires health insurers to provide detailed pricing and cost-sharing information in a standardized, accessible format, enhancing transparency and enabling better consumer decisions.
My 2023 Sponsored Legislation:
SB23-174: Access To Certain Behavioral Health Services
We now require that certain behavioral health services are available for Medicaid recipients who are under 21 years of age.
SB23-068: Operations of County Public Hospitals
This law increases accountability of and resources for four rural hospitals including Memorial Regional Health in Craig.
HB23-1268: Private Treatment for Out-of-state Defendant
This law ensures that people in need of mental health treatment get the resources they need before criminal proceedings.
SB23-004: Employment of School Mental Health Professionals
This law streamlines the hiring process to increase students’ access to mental health resources.
As your representative, I will continue to:
Work to lower health insurance costs.
Advocate for a decrease in the price of prescription drugs.
Defend a woman's right to make her own health care decisions.
Represent constituents and stakeholders invested in health care.
Rep. Lukens was awarded the 2023 Mental Health
Legislator of the Year from Mental Health Colorado.