Bill > HB1429

This bill aims to improve the administration of public assistance programs in Colorado by creating a centralized system for fraud investigations and by redesigning the overall delivery model for these benefits. Key provisions include establishing a single county department to manage a "centralized member integrity service" responsible for investigating fraud and overpayments across programs like Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). This service will be funded by money recouped from fraud investigations. The bill also mandates that state departments (Health Care Policy and Financing, Human Services, and Early Childhood) establish performance-based contracts with county departments by January 1, 2027, to ensure consistent program administration and implement corrective action protocols. Furthermore, it requires the state to develop a continuous quality improvement process to review data from county departments and to publish county-level and statewide performance data monthly. By July 1, 2028, the state departments will oversee a streamlined public benefits delivery model, organizing county departments into up to 12 "cohorts" that will work together to administer benefits consistently across the state. The bill also establishes work groups and teams to develop a transition plan for this new model and to align policies across different public assistance programs, ultimately seeking to make the system more accessible, efficient, and reliable for recipients. Finally, it includes a provision making households eligible for fuel assistance payments if they haven't received similar assistance in the past year and qualify for a specific federal utility allowance.