HB26-1365 • 2026

Repeal Medicaid Reimbursement for Equine Therapy

Joint Budget Committee. Current law authorizes medicaid reimbursement for therapy using equine movement provided by a licensed physical therapist, a licensed occupational therapist, or a certified spe

Budget

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. K. Brown, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Bridges
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: House Committee on Appropriations Postpone Indefinitely
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary states it applies 'as introduced' and may not reflect amendments if adopted later.

Repeal Medicaid Reimbursement for Equine Therapy

This bill removes the rule that allows Colorado Medicaid to pay for therapy using horse movement and reduces state funding by $181,514 if a specific budget law is passed.

What This Bill Does

Removes current law that lets Medicaid pay for equine movement therapy provided by licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, or certified speech-language pathologists.
Reduces the 2026-27 state funding for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing by $181,514.

Who It Names or Affects

People who use Medicaid to pay for equine movement therapy
Licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, and certified speech-language pathologists providing this service
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

Terms To Know

Medicaid reimbursement: Money paid by the government program to cover health care costs for eligible people.
Equine movement therapy: A type of treatment that uses the motion of a horse as part of physical or speech rehabilitation provided by specific licensed professionals.

Limits and Unknowns

The funding reduction only happens if the annual general appropriation act for 2026-27 becomes law.
No funding reduction is required if the total amount available in that year's budget is already lower than $181,514 or does not include an appropriation for these services.

Bill History

2026-04-07 House
House Committee on Appropriations Postpone Indefinitely
2026-04-02 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Joint Budget Committee.
Current law authorizes medicaid reimbursement for therapy using equine movement provided by a licensed physical therapist, a licensed occupational therapist, or a certified speech-language pathologist. The bill repeals this provision and reduces the 2026-27 appropriation to the department of health care policy and financing by $181,514.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0926.01 Shelby Ross x4510 HOUSE BILL 26-1365
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING REPEALING MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR THERAPY101
USING EQUINE MOVEMENT, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,102
REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION.103
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov/.)
Joint Budget Committee. Current law authorizes medicaid
reimbursement for therapy using equine movement provided by a licensed
physical therapist, a licensed occupational therapist, or a certified
speech-language pathologist. The bill repeals this provision and reduces
the 2026-27 appropriation to the department of health care policy and
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Sirota, Taggart
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Kirkmeyer, Bridges
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
financing by $181,514.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, repeal 25.5-5-332.2
SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.3
(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, to implement this4
act, the general fund appropriation made in the annual general5
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of6
health care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services7
for medicaid-eligible individuals is decreased by $181,514, which is8
subject to the "(M)" notation as defined in the annual general9
appropriation act for the same fiscal year.10
(2) The decrease of the appropriation in subsection (1) of this11
section is based on the assumption that the anticipated amount of federal12
funds received for the 2026-27 state fiscal year by the department of13
health care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services14
for medicaid-eligible individuals will decrease by $181,514.15
(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of16
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-2717
state fiscal year if:18
(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the19
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the20
department of health care policy and financing for medical and long-term21
care services for medicaid-eligible individuals is less than the amount of22
the adjustment required in subsection (1) of this section; or23
(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state24
fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of health25
HB26-1365-2-
care policy and financing for medical and long-term care services for1
medicaid-eligible individuals.2
SECTION 3. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;3
except that section 2 of this act takes effect only if the annual general4
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which5
case section 2 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the6
annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever7
is later.8
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,9
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate10
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for11
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state12
institutions.13
HB26-1365-3-