Colorado § 25.5-1-208 - Direct care worker website and communication platform - enrollment of direct care workers - training, worker rights, employment matching - department of labor and employment access - gifts, grants, or donations - definitions.

§ 25.5-1-208. Direct care worker website and communication platform - enrollment of direct care workers - training, worker rights, employment matching - department of labor and employment access - gifts, grants, or donations - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Board" means the direct care workforce stabilization board created in section 8-7.5-103.

(b) "Direct care consumer" has the meaning set forth in section 8-7.5-102.

(c) "Direct care employer" has the meaning set forth in section 8-7.5-102.

(d) "Direct care services" has the meaning set forth in section 8-7.5-102.

(e) "Direct care worker" has the meaning set forth in section 8-7.5-102.

(f) "Medical assistance program" means the "Colorado Medical Assistance Act", articles 4 to 6 of this title 25.5.

(g) "Platform" or "communication platform" means the direct care worker communication platform created in this section.

(h) "Website" means the direct care worker website created in this section.

(i) "Worker organization" has the meaning set forth in section 8-7.5-102.

(2) On or before July 1, 2026, the state department shall collaborate with the board and establish a direct care worker website and communication platform for direct care workers. The state department shall ensure that the platform:

(a) Supports direct care consumers in identifying and employing qualified direct care workers;

(b) Facilitates recruitment and retention of direct care workers paid through reimbursement by the medical assistance program;

(c) Ensures access to care for all members;

(d) Supports the state department in monitoring access to and quality of care for direct care consumers who receive direct care services;

(e) Provides a regular cadence of communication by the state department, to be determined in consultation with the board, to workers who have opted in to the communication platform, including updates from the board, relevant state department initiatives, and potential changes to worker rights and benefits;

(f) Maintains an electronic employment matching system to help direct care consumers identify direct care workers with the right availability and skill set, experience with dementia, language proficiency, and specific certifications; and

(g) Provides each direct care worker with the opportunity to opt in to and opt out of the communication platform.

(3) The state department shall:

(a) In coordination with the board, develop a direct care worker-specific notice of rights for direct care employers to distribute to their employees pursuant to section 8-7.5-108 (3)(b); and

(b) Collaborate with direct care employers to inform direct care workers of the benefits of the platform.

(4) (a) The website must include:

(I) Training on direct care worker basic job duties, health and safety in the workplace, and how to provide culturally competent care;

(II) Information regarding direct care worker rights, including increases to the direct care worker base wage; the "Healthy Families and Workplaces Act", part 4 of article 13.3 of title 8; new labor laws, rules, regulations, and practices; or other laws, rules, regulations, and processes designed to stabilize the direct care workforce;

(III) A calendar of the training events that are provided by the state department and are free of charge to direct care workers concerning the rights of direct care workers and the information that can be learned in each training;

(IV) The ability for communication platform users to opt in to and opt out of platform communications;

(V) Communication on how direct care workers can access medical assistance program benefits, including:

(A) Medical assistance program buy-in for working adults with disabilities;

(B) Medical assistance for a family member in the direct care worker's household with a disability or who is sixty-five years of age or older; and

(C) Other benefits the department deems applicable;

(VI) Access to the state department's core curriculum training; and

(VII) A link to the state department's direct care worker survey.

(b) The state department shall review and approve all website and communication platform content for accuracy before it is posted publicly.

(5) (a) Within three months after the establishment of the communication platform and every three months thereafter, the state department shall allow the department of labor and employment, worker organizations, organizations representing direct care employers, and organizations representing direct care consumers to have access to the full name, telephone number, and email address for each direct care worker who has opted in to the communication platform to inform the worker of their rights, to support the worker in engaging with the board, and to accomplish the communication platform's direct care consumer-matching functions.

(b) In fulfilling the obligations of this section, the state department, worker organizations, organizations representing direct care employers, and organizations representing direct care consumers must comply with applicable laws and rules protecting personal identifying information, including part 1 of article 74 of title 24 and part 13 of article 1 of title 6. Worker organizations and organizations representing direct care consumers shall not have access to the name or private data of any direct care consumer or direct care consumer's representative or indicate that an individual direct care worker is a direct care consumer's relative or has the same address as a direct care consumer. An organization or individual who receives direct care worker contact information shall not share, sell, or otherwise distribute the information except for the purposes in subsection (5)(a) of this section.

Source: L. 2025: Entire section added, (HB 25-1328), ch. 263, p. 1349, § 4, effective August 6.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 25-1328, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2025.