Senate Bill 25-236

BY SENATOR(S) Amabile and Bridges, Kirkmeyer;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Sirota and Taggart, Bird.

Concerning the consolidation of the Colorado crisis hotline and the 988 crisis hotline enterprise, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 22-1-136 as follows:

22-1-136.  Student identification cards - information required. Each student identification card issued to a public school student must contain the phone number, website address, and text talk number for Colorado crisis services, as defined in section 27-60-104information on the 988 crisis hotline, operated pursuant to section 27-64-103, and the safe2tell program created in section 24-31-606. The public school may also include information regarding other available crisis services on the identification card. If a public school does not issue student identification cards, the public school shall display the materials described in section 27-60-104 (10) at the school and send information related to Colorado crisis services to parents or guardians at the beginning of each school year.

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-5-109, amend (2) as follows:

23-5-109.  Identification - suicide and crisis prevention - rules. (2)  Each student identification card issued after August 1, 2023, to a public or private postsecondary school student must include the phone number and text talk number for the statewide behavioral health crisis response system, commonly referred to as "Colorado crisis services", as described in section 27-60-104, andinformation on the national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988. The public or private postsecondary school may include information about other available crisis services and other services on the identification card, including local campus crisis and suicide prevention numbers. The public or private postsecondary school is not required to reprint or reissue identification cards in use before August 1, 2023. If, at any time, a private or public postsecondary school has current students still using identification cards without the information required by this section, the school shall distribute the phone number and text talk number for Colorado crisis services, as described in section 27-60-104, andinformation on the national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988 to all students at the beginning of each school semester or trimester until all students have identification cards with the required information. If a private or public postsecondary school does not issue or use student identification cards, the school shall distribute the phone number and text talk number for Colorado crisis services, as described in section 27-60-104, andinformation on the national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988 to all students at the beginning of each school semester or trimester.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-60-103, amend (1)(b)(V); and repeal (1)(b)(I) as follows:

27-60-103.  Behavioral health crisis response system - services - request for proposals - criteria - reporting - rules - definitions - repeal. (1) (b)  The components of the crisis response system must reflect a continuum of care from crisis response through stabilization and safe return to the community, with adequate support for transitions to each stage. Specific components include:

(I)  A twenty-four-hour telephone crisis service that is staffed by skilled professionals who are capable of assessing child, adolescent, and adult crisis situations and making the appropriate referrals;

(V)  Funding for a public information campaign and to ensure that individuals calling or texting the legacy statewide telephone crisis lines are routed to the 988 crisis line.

SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-60-104.5, amend (3)(c) and (8) as follows:

27-60-104.5.  Behavioral health capacity tracking system - rules - legislative declaration - definitions. (3)  Pursuant to subsection (8) of this section, the BHA shall implement a behavioral health capacity tracking system, which must include the following:

(c)  Coordination with the telephone crisis service that is part of the behavioral health crisis response system pursuant to section 27-60-103988 crisis hotline created pursuant to section 27-64-103;

(8)  Subject to available appropriations, the BHA shall implement a centralized, web-based tracking system as described in this section and shall ensure that appropriate tracking system information is available to the public. The contractor of the twenty-four-hour telephone crisis services provided pursuant to section 27-60-103 shall use the tracking system as an available service resource locator.

SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-64-103, amend (4)(d)(I) and (7) as follows:

27-64-103.  988 crisis hotline enterprise - creation - powers and duties. (4)  The enterprise's primary powers and duties are to:

(d) (I)  Engage the services of third parties serving as crisis vendors to provide crisis outreach; stabilization, including, but not limited to, recovery support and mobile response units; acute care; and marketing for the 988 crisis hotline;

(7)  The enterprise shall consider recommendations from the state's 988 planning committee to determine how the 988 crisis hotline will interact with the twenty-four-hour telephone crisis services established in section 27-60-103 (1)(b)(I)funding to ensure that individuals calling or texting the legacy statewide telephone crisis lines are routed to the 988 crisis hotline.

SECTION 6.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-65-106, amend (8)(a)(VI) and (8)(d)(I) as follows:

27-65-106.  Emergency mental health hold - screening - court-ordered evaluation - discharge instructions - respondent's rights. (8) (a)  The facility shall provide each person detained for an emergency mental health hold discharge instructions. The discharge instructions must be completed for every person, regardless of the person's discharge status, before the person is released. If the detained person refuses to accept the discharge instructions, the refusal must be documented in the person's medical record. At a minimum, the discharge instructions must include:

(VI)  The phone number to call or text the Colorado crisis services hotlineInformation on the 988 crisis hotline operated pursuant to section 27-64-103 and information on the availability of peer support services;

(d) (I)  The facility shall, at a minimum, attempt to follow up with the person, the person's parent or legal guardian, or the person's lay person at least forty-eight hours after discharge. The facility is encouraged to utilize peer support professionals, as defined in section 27-60-108 (2)(b), when performing follow-up care with individuals and in developing a continuing care plan pursuant to subsection (8)(a)(I) of this section. The facility may facilitate follow-up care through contracts with community-based behavioral health providers or the Colorado behavioral health crisis hotline988 crisis hotline operated pursuant to section 27-64-103. If the facility facilitates follow-up care through a third-party contract, the facility shall obtain authorization from the person to provide follow-up care.

SECTION 7.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-65-119, amend (1)(d) as follows:

27-65-119.  Rights of respondents certified for short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment. (1)  Each respondent certified for short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment on an inpatient basis pursuant to sections 27-65-108.5, 27-65-109, and 27-65-110 has the following rights and shall be advised of such rights by the facility:

(d)  To meet with or call a personal clinician, spiritual advisor, counselor, crisis hotlinethe 988 crisis hotline, family member, workplace, child care provider, or school at all reasonable times;

SECTION 8.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-80-129, amend (7)(c)(IV) and (7)(e) as follows:

27-80-129.  Regulation of recovery residences - rules - definitions. (7) (c)  If a client is unable or no longer wishes to reside in a recovery residence, or is discharged or transferred from a recovery residence, prior to the client vacating the recovery residence, the recovery residence staff shall:

(IV)  Provide the client with the phone number to contact the Colorado crisis services hotline988 crisis hotline operated pursuant to section 27-64-103, information on the availability of peer support services, and information about the behavioral health services directory provided by the behavioral health administration.

(e)  The recovery residence shall, at a minimum, attempt to follow up with the client's designated emergency contact at the time of discharge. The recovery residence is encouraged to utilize peer support professionals, as defined in section 27-60-108, when performing follow-up care with clients a recovery residence may facilitate follow-up care through contacts with community-based providers or the Colorado crisis hotline988 crisis hotline operated pursuant to section 27-64-103.

SECTION 9.  Appropriation - adjustments to 2025 long bill. (1)  To implement this act, appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of human services for use by the behavioral health administration are adjusted as follows:

(a)  The general fund appropriation for behavioral health crisis response system services is decreased by $200,000; and

(b)  The appropriation for the behavioral health crisis response system telephone hotline is decreased by $3,863,938, which consists of $3,496,622 from the general fund and $367,316 from the marijuana tax cash fund created in section 39-28.8-501 (1), C.R.S.

(2)  For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $3,863,938 is appropriated to the department of human services for use by the behavioral health administration. This appropriation is from the 988 crisis hotline cash fund created in section 27-64-104 (1), C.R.S. This figure is subject to the "(I)" notation as defined in the annual general appropriation act for the same fiscal year. To implement this act, the administration may use this appropriation for the behavioral health crisis response system telephone hotline.

SECTION 10.  Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2025.

SECTION 11.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.