A health care measure that allows parents to put their adult children on their insurance policies was criticized Tuesday as a "slacker-at-home" bill.

Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R- Broomfield, called the measure a "well-intentioned mistake" that would drive up health care costs and could be the final straw for small businesses.

"We lament the rising cost of insurance, we worry about insurance becoming unaffordable for families and individuals, and we keep piling on requirements and regulations that keep driving up the costs of insurance," he said.

Current law allows parents to keep their children on their insurance policies through age 25 with certain conditions.

Senate Bill 159, sponsored by Sen. Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, would raise the age to 30. The adult child would have to have the same legal residence as the parent or be financially dependent upon the parent.

The measure received initial approval and a final vote could come as early as today.

"I think there is a realization now that the transition to adulthood with a good-paying job with health insurance is out of the question for a lot of young people," Sandoval said, citing a study that shows young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 represent one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the population that lack insurance.

She said treating the uninsured drives up health insurance costs.

But Mitchell dubbed her bill a "slacker-at-home" measure. "Since we're covering slackers up to age 30, why not 35. Why not 40?" he asked.