A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning creating the military family behavioral health
Page 1, Line 102grant program in the veterans mental health services
Page 1, Line 103program, and, in connection therewith, reducing an
Page 1, Line 104appropriation.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates the military family behavioral health grant program in the behavioral health administration in the department of human services to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations to establish and expand community behavioral health programs that provide behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, repeal and reenact, with amendments, 28-5-714 as follows:
Page 2, Line 328-5-714. Veterans mental health services program -
Page 2, Line 4community behavioral health program grants - rules - definitions.
Page 2, Line 5(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 2, Line 6(a) "Armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Air Force,
Page 2, Line 7Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard of the United States.
Page 2, Line 8(b) "Behavioral health administration" or "BHA" means
Page 2, Line 9the behavioral health administration in the department of human services established pursuant to section 27-50-102.
Page 2, Line 10(c) "Division" means the division of veterans affairs in the department of military and veterans affairs.
Page 2, Line 11(d) "Eligible veteran" means a veteran, as defined in
Page 2, Line 12section 28-5-100.3, who lives in a veterans community living center, as defined in section 26-12-102.
Page 2, Line 13(e) "Health-care professional" means:
Page 2, Line 14(I) A licensed psychiatrist regulated pursuant to article 240 of title 12;
Page 2, Line 15(II) A licensed psychologist or psychologist candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;
Page 2, Line 16(III) A licensed social worker, licensed clinical social
Page 3, Line 1worker, or clinical social worker candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 2(IV) A licensed marriage and family therapist or marriage
Page 3, Line 3and family therapist candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 4(V) A licensed professional counselor or licensed
Page 3, Line 5professional counselor candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 6(VI) A licensed addiction counselor, certified addiction
Page 3, Line 7specialist, or addiction counselor candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 8(VII) An advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to article 255 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 9(VIII) An acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article 200 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 10(IX) A massage therapist licensed pursuant to article 235 of title 12;
Page 3, Line 11(X) A health-care professional who is certified in the
Page 3, Line 12practice of using touch or healing touch to affect the human energy systems; or
Page 3, Line 13(XI) A health-care professional who is certified in craniosacral therapies.
Page 3, Line 14(f) "Service member" means a person who is:
(I) An active-duty member of the armed forces;
Page 3, Line 15(II) A member of the reserve forces of the United States; or
Page 3, Line 16(III) A member of the federally recognized National Guard.
Page 4, Line 1(g) "Telehealth" has the same meaning as set forth in section 10-16-123.
Page 4, Line 2(h) "Veteran" means a person who served in the armed
Page 4, Line 3forces, the federally recognized National Guard, or the
Page 4, Line 4reserve forces of the United States and who was discharged or released from service.
Page 4, Line 5(2) (a) There is established in the division a veterans
Page 4, Line 6mental health services program to promote access to mental
Page 4, Line 7health services for eligible veterans by reimbursing health-care professionals for sessions with an eligible veteran.
Page 4, Line 8(b) The division shall reimburse a health-care
Page 4, Line 9professional who participates in the veterans mental health
Page 4, Line 10services program for mental health-care sessions, either in
Page 4, Line 11person or through telehealth, with eligible veterans. Each
Page 4, Line 12eligible veteran may receive twenty-six reimbursed sessions per year.
Page 4, Line 13(c) Subject to available appropriations, an eligible
Page 4, Line 14veteran may receive and the division shall reimburse a health-care professional for:
Page 4, Line 15(I) Additional reimbursed sessions if a health-care professional determines additional sessions are necessary; and
Page 4, Line 16(II) Complementary behavioral health services, including,
Page 4, Line 17but not limited to, acupuncture, healing touch therapy, massage
Page 4, Line 18therapy, acupressure, and craniosacral therapy for the purpose
Page 4, Line 19of supporting an eligible veteran's mental health when provided
Page 4, Line 20by a qualified health-care professional.
Page 5, Line 1(d) To be eligible to participate in and receive
Page 5, Line 2reimbursement from the veterans mental health services
Page 5, Line 3program, a health-care professional must be available to
Page 5, Line 4provide at least four mental health-care sessions to each
Page 5, Line 5eligible veteran the health-care professional accepts as a client.
Page 5, Line 6(e) The division shall:
Page 5, Line 7(I) Develop a process consistent with the requirements of
Page 5, Line 8this section for health-care professionals to apply for and
Page 5, Line 9demonstrate eligibility to receive reimbursement from the veterans mental health services program;
Page 5, Line 10(II) Upon reimbursing a health-care professional for a
Page 5, Line 11mental health-care session with an eligible veteran, inform the
Page 5, Line 12health-care professional of the veteran's remaining number of sessions eligible for reimbursement that year; and
Page 5, Line 13(III) Determine a reasonable rate of reimbursement for
Page 5, Line 14each mental health-care session with an eligible veteran
Page 5, Line 15pursuant to the veterans mental health services program, which
Page 5, Line 16rate must be the same regardless of whether the appointment is in-person or through telehealth.
Page 5, Line 17(f) The adjutant general, in consultation with the board
Page 5, Line 18of veterans affairs, shall adopt rules necessary for the implementation of this subsection (2).
Page 5, Line 19(3) For each state fiscal year, the general assembly shall
Page 5, Line 20appropriate money to the division for the purposes of the
Page 5, Line 21veterans mental health services program. The first six hundred
Page 5, Line 22thousand dollars must be used for eligible veterans.
Page 6, Line 1(4) (a) The BHA shall coordinate with the division to
Page 6, Line 2continue and expand the veterans mental health services
Page 6, Line 3program using the money transferred pursuant to section
Page 6, Line 439-37-301 (2)(a)(II) to the behavioral and mental health cash
Page 6, Line 5fund, created in section 24-75-230 (2)(a), in accordance with section 24-75-230 (3.5).
Page 6, Line 6(b) The BHA shall post on its website a list of health-care
Page 6, Line 7professionals who participate in the veterans mental health services program.
Page 6, Line 8(5) (a) In expanding the veterans mental health services
Page 6, Line 9program pursuant to subsection (4)(a) of this section, the BHA
Page 6, Line 10shall provide grants to local nonprofit organizations to
Page 6, Line 11establish and expand community behavioral health programs
Page 6, Line 12that provide behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans.
Page 6, Line 13(b) If a local nonprofit organization receives a grant
Page 6, Line 14pursuant to this subsection (5) and the organization continues
Page 6, Line 15to meet performance metrics developed by the BHA, the BHA
Page 6, Line 16may distribute an additional grant to the local nonprofit
Page 6, Line 17organization without requiring the organization to reapply for the grant.
Page 6, Line 18(c) To receive a grant, a local nonprofit organization
Page 6, Line 19must submit an application to the BHA in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner of the BHA.
Page 6, Line 20(d) In its application, a local nonprofit organization shall demonstrate that the organization:
Page 6, Line 21(I) Serves the behavioral health needs of service members,
Page 7, Line 1veterans, and family members of service members and veterans in the locality served by the local nonprofit organization;
Page 7, Line 2(II) Utilizes evidence-based practices;
Page 7, Line 3(III) Integrates military cultural competency training for the local nonprofit organization's staff; and
Page 7, Line 4(IV) Has established and verifiable community
Page 7, Line 5partnerships to deliver behavioral health services along the
Page 7, Line 6continuum of careto service members, veterans, and their family members.
Page 7, Line 7(e) The BHA shall prioritize awarding grants to a grant applicant that:
Page 7, Line 8(I) Applies for a grant to support the operating costs for
Page 7, Line 9a qualifying project, as determined by the BHA, for which capital investments have already been made;
Page 7, Line 10(II) Provides culturally competent behavioral health
Page 7, Line 11services to service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans;
Page 7, Line 12(III) Has the ability to submit data that the BHA
Page 7, Line 13determines is necessary to measure the impact of the grant program; and
Page 7, Line 14(IV) Demonstrates a history of collaboration with, and
Page 7, Line 15providing services for, military and veterans community organizations in Colorado.
Page 7, Line 16(f) The commissioner of the BHA shall adopt rules as
Page 7, Line 17necessary to implement this subsection (5), including
Page 7, Line 18performance metrics for local nonprofit organizations that
Page 7, Line 19receive a grant.
Page 8, Line 1SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2025 long bill.
Page 8, Line 2(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, to implement this
Page 8, Line 3act, the reappropriated funds appropriation made in the annual general
Page 8, Line 4appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of
Page 8, Line 5military and veterans affairs for use by the division of veterans affairs for
Page 8, Line 6veterans mental health services is decreased by $5,000,000. This
Page 8, Line 7appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from the department of human services for use by the behavioral health administration.
Page 8, Line 8(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of
Page 8, Line 9an appropriation in the annual general appropriations act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year if:
Page 8, Line 10(a) The amount of reappropriated funds made in the annual general
Page 8, Line 11appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of
Page 8, Line 12military and veterans affairs for use by the division of veterans affairs for
Page 8, Line 13veterans mental health is less than the amount of the adjustment required in subsection (1) of this section; or
Page 8, Line 14(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state
Page 8, Line 15fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of military
Page 8, Line 16and veterans affairs for use by the division of veterans affairs for veterans mental health.
Page 8, Line 17SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. (1) This
Page 8, Line 18act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 8, Line 19ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 8, Line 20that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 8, Line 21of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 8, Line 22act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 8, Line 23effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 9, Line 1November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
Page 9, Line 2(2) Section 2 of this act takes effect only if the annual general
Page 9, Line 3appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year becomes law, in which
Page 9, Line 4case section 2 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the
Page 9, Line 5annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2025-26, whichever is later.