[Colorado-Talk] HB24-1115, Prescription Drug Label Accessibility

Wed May 1 22:15:24 UTC 2024

Way to go Elizabeth!

Warm wishes,

Curtis Chong

From: Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jo
Elizabeth Pinto via Colorado-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 4:04 PM
To: NFB of Colorado Discussion List <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jo Elizabeth Pinto <jopinto at msn.com>
Subject: Re: [Colorado-Talk] HB24-1115, Prescription Drug Label
Accessibility

I wrote to all of them just now. I altered Curtis's letter slightly,
pointing out that supporting the bill is a wise financial decision as well
as a moral and inclusive one because fewer medical dollars will be spent on
people who take their medications incorrectly or people who are placed in
nursing homes or other facilities needlessly just because they cannot take
their medications on their own. Hit 'em in the wallet as well as the heart,
just in case the heart isn't functioning right. *Cynical smile.(

Regards,

Jo Elizabeth Pinto

Please visit my author Website:

 <https://www.brightsideauthor.com> https://www.brightsideauthor.com

From: Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Curtis
Chong via Colorado-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 2:34 PM
To: 'NFB of Colorado Discussion List' <colorado-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Curtis Chong <chong.curtis at gmail.com>
Subject: [Colorado-Talk] HB24-1115, Prescription Drug Label Accessibility
Importance: High

Greetings and salutations:

Thanks to everyone who took the time and made the effort to send emails
and/or phone calls to members of the Senate Health and Human Services
Committee. I am very pleased to report that HB24-1115, the Prescription Drug
Accessibility bill, was unanimously voted out of the Senate Health and Human
Services committee today. Because of the $80,000 appropriation provided in
the bill in support of grants to needy pharmacies, HB24-1115 will need to
move to and through the Senate Appropriations Committee. While there is no
opportunity for folks to provide testimony to this committee, we certainly
can send personal emails to Senate Appropriations Committee  members urging
them to move expeditiously to pass HB24-1115 on to the full Senate for a
final vote.

The Colorado General Assembly will adjourn on Wednesday, May 8. This is the
next-to-last step to the final push. Once passed by Senate Appropriations,
HB24-1115 will be considered by and hopefully voted out of the Senate to be
signed into law by Governor Polis.

To make this as painless as I possibly can for everyone, I am including two
things in this email: the names and email addresses of the Senate
Appropriations Committee and the generic text of an email which I plan to
send myself to Senate Appropriations. 

Names and Email Addresses, Senate Appropriations

'Senator Jeff Bridges, Chair' jeff.bridges.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:jeff.bridges.senate at coleg.gov> 

'Senator Rachel Zenzinger, Vice Chair' senatorrachelz at gmail.com
<mailto:senatorrachelz at gmail.com> 

Senator James Coleman james.coleman.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:james.coleman.senate at coleg.gov> 

Senator Bob Gardner bob.gardner.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:bob.gardner.senate at coleg.gov> 

Senator Julie Gonzales julie.gonzales.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:julie.gonzales.senate at coleg.gov> 

Senator Chris Hansen chris.hansen.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:chris.hansen.senate at coleg.gov> 

Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer barbara.kirkmeyer.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:barbara.kirkmeyer.senate at coleg.gov> 

Senator Larry Liston larry.liston.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:larry.liston.senate at coleg.gov> 

Senator Kevin Priola kevin.priola.senate at coleg.gov
<mailto:kevin.priola.senate at coleg.gov> 

Letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee

To:      Senate Appropriations Committee

Please support funding in support of HB24-1115, a bill which is critical to
the life, health, and safety of people in Colorado who are blind or
otherwise unable to see or read printed prescription drug labels. The
technology, knowledge, and procedures to make prescription labels accessible
to people who are blind or have print disabilities is more available today
than it has ever been before, and the cost of this accessibility is neither
rapidly increasing nor excessive. Without this funding, small pharmacies
would find it difficult or impossible to do what is necessary to provide
accessible prescription labels to their customers who need them, and people
who are blind or otherwise print-disabled will continue to be at greater
risk of taking the wrong medication.

HB24-1115 is fully supported across the disability community in Colorado: by
the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, Disability Law Colorado,
the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition, and ARC of Colorado. Funding is
critical to ensure that all pharmacies in the state can do what is
right--making prescription labels accessible to everyone! Please vote in
favor of HB24-1115 to help keep all Coloradans who are blind or
print-disabled safe.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Curtis Chong, Legislative Cochair

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

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