(1) The general assembly hereby declares it to be the policy of this state that, in order to safeguard the life, health, property, and public welfare of the people of this state and in order to protect the people of this state from the unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of services by individuals in the practice of nursing, it is necessary that a proper regulatory authority be established. The general assembly further declares it to be the policy of this state to regulate the practice of nursing through a state agency with the power to enforce this article 255.
(2) It is declared to be the policy of the state of Colorado that, in order to safeguard life, health, property, and the public welfare of the people of the state of Colorado, and in order to protect the people of the state of Colorado against unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of services by nurse aides in a medical facility, it is necessary that a proper regulatory authority be established. The general assembly further declares it to be the policy of this state to regulate the practice of nurse aides in medical facilities through a state agency with the power to enforce the provisions of this article 255 that pertain to the practice of nurse aides. Any person who practices as a nurse aide in a medical facility without qualifying for proper certification and without submitting to the regulations provided in this article 255 endangers the public health thereby. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that the provisions of this article 255 that pertain to the practice of nurse aides will meet the requirements of the federal "Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987", as amended, Pub.L. 100-203, 101 Stat. 1330.
Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1318, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2020: Entire section amended with relocations, (HB 20-1183), ch. 157, p. 674, § 4, effective July 1.
Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 12-38-102 as it existed prior to 2019.
(2) Subsection (2) is similar to former § 12-260-101 as it existed prior to 2020.