C.R.S. § 26-1-806: Implementation work group - subgroups - reports.

(1) On or before July 1, 2026, the state departments, in collaboration with county departments, shall establish an implementation work group to work with the third-party contractor and subgroup described in subsection (3) of this section to develop the transition plan and corresponding report and to develop recommendations for the public benefits delivery model.

(2) The implementation work group is composed of the following seventeen members:

(a) Six members representing counties, appointed by a Colorado organization that assists county commissioners, mayors, and council members and encourages counties to work together, who must be representative of the state of Colorado and include:

(I) At least one member who must be a county commissioner, human services director, or a designee of a county commissioner or human services director, who has relevant subject matter expertise in human services;

(II) At least one member who must represent a rural county; and

(III) At least two members who must be county representatives representing counties with high human services caseloads;

(b) Three representatives from the governor's office, appointed by the governor;

(c) A representative from the department of health care policy and financing, appointed by the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing;

(d) A representative from the department of human services, appointed by the executive director of the department of human services;

(e) A representative from the department of early childhood, appointed by the executive director of the department of early childhood; and

(f) Four representatives from philanthropic organizations, community organizations, or member experience councils who are not state or county government employees and have relevant subject matter expertise:

(I) One appointed by the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing;

(II) One appointed by the executive director of the department of human services;

(III) One appointed by the executive director of the department of early childhood; and

(IV) One appointed by the governor; and

(g) One member who is a nonsupervisory employee who determines eligibility or processes cases from a county department, appointed by the governor.

(3) (a) The implementation work group shall convene a subgroup to advise the implementation work group on the development and implementation of the transition plan and corresponding report.

(b) The subgroup must include the following individuals and representatives:

(I) Benefit recipients or the parents of child benefit recipients;

(II) Human services providers and providers enrolled in the state medical assistance program;

(III) County public assistance benefit eligibility employees and case workers;

(IV) Representatives from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe;

(V) Disability advocates;

(VI) Representatives of advocacy organizations that represent senior citizens and children and advocate for poverty reform;

(VII) Representatives of businesses and employers that participate in workforce development activities for public assistance programs; and

(VIII) Representatives of managed care entities.

(c) Members of the subgroup must not be members who serve on the implementation work group.

(d) The subgroup functions in an advisory role to the implementation work group.

(e) The implementation work group shall solicit input on the development and implementation of the transition plan and corresponding report from the subgroup and include the subgroup's input in the final report.

(4) The implementation work group may convene additional subgroups to assist the implementation work group on topics that may include:

(a) Technology modernization;

(b) Public assistance program recipient engagement, case management, and program delivery process improvement;

(c) Fiscal, allocation, and governance reform;

(d) Workforce transition and labor protections;

(e) Performance-based contracts and outcome measures; or

(f) Any other topic the implementation work group deems appropriate.

(5) (a) In developing the transition plan and corresponding report, the implementation work group and subgroups shall engage with, to the extent possible, interested and impacted individuals from all areas of the state, including urban, suburban, and rural areas, and across public assistance programs, and shall actively seek the input and guidance of public assistance program recipients, human services providers, medical assistance providers, county eligibility employees and caseworkers, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, advocacy groups, and other interested and impacted community members. The implementation work group may include different approaches and multiple options for the public benefits delivery model in its reports or recommendations. A member of the implementation work group may submit a minority report with an alternative approach or recommendations as part of the implementation work group's final report.

(b) To facilitate the engagement described in subsection (5)(a) of this section, the implementation work group must engage with stakeholders through public meetings, working sessions, written comments, and public reporting of recommendations for the transition plan.

(c) To increase efficiency and meet with as many stakeholders as possible, the implementation work group may meet with stakeholders using electronic or digital platforms and formats.

(6) (a) From July 1, 2026, through January 1, 2027, the state departments, in collaboration with county departments, shall provide monthly progress reports on the work of the implementation work group to the joint budget committee, the joint technology committee, the house of representatives health and human services committee, and the senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees.

(b) From January 1, 2027, through July 1, 2028, the state departments, in collaboration with county departments, shall provide quarterly progress reports on the work of the implementation work group and development of the transition plan and corresponding report to the joint budget committee, the joint technology committee, the house of representatives health and human services committee, and the senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees.