A measure that would give emergency medical technicians and medical personnel access to end-of-life directive forms through an online registry passed the House today.

The bill, House Bill 1050, sponsored by Rep. Max Tyler, D-Golden, originally would have set up the registry in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment but was amended to allow any entity that exchanges medical information to voluntarily maintain the forms online.   Under the updated version of the bill, the health department only will be required to provide on its website a link to downloadable end-of-life directive forms.

Most lawmakers were supportive of the measure, but one GOP lawmaker, Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, had concerns about any medical records being held by the state, electronic or otherwise. Balmer also said he is not so sure that the legislature should approve any programs at the moment that may further burden an already-strained state budget.

“Right now we don’t need to be creating potential future programs that will cost money,” said Balmer.

Balmer said his primary worry is having medical information available online, and he said he prefers that records stay with medical professionals.

“Medical records online are just like any other kind of records online—they can be hacked into,” Balmer said. “If the Pentagon can be hacked into, anything can be hacked into.”

Tyler, an information management consultant for businesses, said the medical information would remain secure if it were to go online.

“I can assure you that this a very high security model,” Tyler said.

The stricken requirement for the online registry through the Department of Health and Environment would have been funded by gifts, grants and donations, an increasingly popular mechanism for getting a program approved that might otherwise be rejected because of limited state funds.

On a related note,  House Bill 1178, which would require transparency regarding the sources of gifts, grants, and donations, also received House approval today. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, also offers a way to determine whether or not a given program has indeed been funded.  If the program does not receive funding, then under the bill the legislature would have to give its approval before the program could be paid for out of the state’s coffers.