Sen. Mike Weissman

The act broadens the scope of the managed care entities that a local county department of human or social services may enter into memorandums of understanding with to coordinate and manage services for children and families who would benefit from integrated multiagency services. The act allows a court with jurisdiction to access records that are created by an individualized service and support team. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

No later than June 30, 2026, the act requires the department of public safety (DPS), in collaboration with the behavioral health administration (BHA), to consult with stakeholders to identify: Existing resources and model programs that communities throughout Colorado utilize when responding to behavioral health crises, including, but not limited to, co-responder programs, alternative response programs, and mobile crisis response programs, and the reimbursement shortages and gaps within the continuum of care for behavioral health crisis response; and The reimbursement shortages and gaps within the continuum of care for behavioral health crisis response, and reimbursement and funding options that are available at the state and federal levels to address the shortages and gaps, including funding for treatment in place. The act requires DPS to compile a list of the existing resources and model programs, and report reimbursement shortages and gaps identified by the stakeholder group and develop recommendations for addressing the shortages and gaps. The act requires DPS to make the resources, model programs, and recommendations publicly available on DPS's website. On or before January 1, 2027, the act requires the BHA, in collaboration with the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF), to provide information to the general assembly regarding the reimbursement shortages and gaps within the continuum of care for behavioral health crisis response and the reimbursement and funding options at the state and federal level that are available to address the shortages and gaps, including funding for treatment in place. The act requires HCPF to reimburse an institution for mental diseases for providing inpatient mental health treatment to a member for up to 60 days or to the extent permitted by federal law. Current law requires each person detained for an emergency mental health hold to receive an evaluation as soon as possible after the person is presented to a facility, and the evaluation may, but is not required to, include an assessment to determine if the person continues to meet the criteria for an emergency mental health hold and requires further mental health care in a facility designated by the commissioner. The act requires the evaluation to include the assessment determination. The act requires a hospital that is subject to the federal "Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act" to only discharge a person placed on an emergency mental health hold if the person no longer meets the criteria for an emergency mental health hold; except that a hospital may transfer the person to another hospital if the hospital is unable to provide the appropriate medical or behavioral health care to the person and the receiving hospital agrees to the transfer. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySJR 25-013 is a symbolic resolution recognizing Thursday, March 20, 2025, as Nowruz Day in Colorado. It honors the ancient Persian New Year celebration observed by Iranian, Kurdish, Afghan, and Central Asian communities, acknowledging its cultural significance and the contributions of Colorado's Iranian-American residents. The resolution has no legal effect but formally extends recognition to the traditions of Nowruz, including its themes of renewal and community. It directly affects Colorado's Iranian-American community by affirming their cultural heritage through state acknowledgment.

Beginning July 1, 2025, the act increases by one the number of district court judges in the fourth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and twenty-third judicial districts and increases by one the number of county court judges in La Plata county. Beginning July 1, 2026, the act increases by one the number of district court judges in the fourth, seventh, thirteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth judicial districts and increases by one the number of county court judges in Larimer county, Douglas county, Mesa county, and Eagle county. Current law requires district court judges regularly assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices within Arapahoe county. The act allows the district court judges assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices outside of the county seat. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $2,638,326 from the general fund to the judicial department to implement the increased number of judges and appropriates $621,337 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the office of state public defender. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SJR 25-009) expresses Colorado's support for federal management of national public lands, including parks, forests, and monuments. It formally opposes efforts to sell, transfer, or dispose of these lands and urges Colorado's governor, attorney general, and congressional delegation to take action against such proposals. The resolution is non-binding but directs state officials to advocate for continued public stewardship by federal agencies like the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. It was passed by the Colorado Senate and referred to the House for consideration.

Under Colorado law, a person may file a claim with the division of parks and wildlife (division) for compensation for damages to property caused by wildlife, and the division must review and investigate that claim. The act requires that the personal information of a person, information related to site assessments received by the division through the claim procedures, and personal information associated with proactive nonlethal measures is kept confidential and not disclosed pursuant to the "Colorado Open Records Act". The act excludes from this prohibition: Information about nonlethal predator-livestock conflict minimization measures that does not reveal the identity of the person or the person's business; Nonidentifying information of county-level data highlighting the number or dollar amount of claims made to the division, the number of claims that were settled and the monetary amounts of those settlements, the number of claims that are pending at the time of a request for disclosure, and the number of claims that were denied and the reasons for denial; and Personal information that becomes public by the actions of the subject of the personal information or the subject's agent. The act prohibits bringing or maintaining a private action challenging the division's determination that a person or the person's agent has taken actions or made statements that led to the person's personal information becoming publicly known. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under existing law, the department of corrections is required to develop and implement initiatives specifically designed to assist each offender's transition from a correctional facility into the community. The act adds peer support behavioral health services that are provided by credentialed peer support professionals or other researched-based programs as a component listed in state law that may be included in an initiative. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act repeals a requirement that investigative reports be kept confidential and replaces it with a grant of rule-making authority to make ongoing investigations and security information confidential. The confidentiality rules must not make final reports of investigations confidential and must require the timely release of information if public knowledge of the information would protect the public safety, health, or welfare. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies that the health benefits coverage for the prevention of, screening for, and treatment of behavioral, mental health, and substance use disorders must be no less extensive than the coverage provided for any physical illness. The act requires that every health benefit plan provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of covered behavioral, mental health, and substance use disorder benefits, consistent with specified criteria. The act also specifies criteria to be used for conducting utilization review, service intensity, and the level of care for covered persons. In addition, the act prohibits: A health benefit plan from limiting coverage for chronic behavioral, mental health, or substance use disorders to short-term symptom reduction; and A health insurance carrier from reversing or altering a determination of medical necessity except in the case of fraud. The act requires carriers that provide benefits for mental health conditions or substance use disorders to offer meaningful benefits for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The act describes how to determine whether the benefits provided are meaningful benefits. The commissioner of insurance is authorized to adopt rules to: Establish carrier utilization review compliance; Specify data testing requirements for plan design and application of parity compliance; Set standard definition for coverage requirements; Establish timelines for carriers to provide comparative analysis information to the division of insurance; and Establish time periods for visits with a provider for treatment of a behavioral, mental health, or substance use disorder after an initial visit with a provider.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySJR 25-011 is a symbolic resolution passed by the Colorado General Assembly to recognize the 19th annual Latino/a Advocacy Day 2025. It honors the contributions of Latinas and Latinos to Colorado's political engagement and their advocacy for equitable policies addressing systemic inequities in health, housing, education, and economic opportunity. The resolution directs copies to the event organizers, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) and Voces Unidas de las Montañas, and expresses the legislature's commitment to creating a Colorado that works for all residents regardless of immigration status. As a commemorative resolution, it has no legal effect but serves as a formal acknowledgment of community advocacy efforts.