Senate Bill 25-236 Introduced

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning the consolidation of the Colorado crisis hotline

• Page 1, Line 102and the 988 crisis hotline enterprise, and, in connection

• Page 1, Line 103therewith, making an appropriation.

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/.)

Joint Budget Committee. Under current law, the 988 crisis hotline and the telephone crisis service that is part of the behavioral health crisis response system operate as 2 separate services. The bill consolidates the telephone crisis service with the 988 crisis hotline. This ensures that callers who call the telephone crisis service will be routed to the 988 crisis hotline.

• Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 22-1-136 as follows:

• Page 2, Line 322-1-136.  Student identification cards - information required.

• Page 2, Line 4Each student identification card issued to a public school student must

• Page 2, Line 5contain the phone number, website address, and text talk number for

• Page 2, Line 6Colorado crisis services, as defined in section 27-60-104 information

• Page 2, Line 7on the 988 crisis hotline, operated pursuant to section 27-64-103,

• Page 2, Line 8and the safe2tell program created in section 24-31-606. The public school

• Page 2, Line 9may also include information regarding other available crisis services on

• Page 2, Line 10the identification card. If a public school does not issue student

• Page 2, Line 11identification cards, the public school shall display the materials

• Page 2, Line 12described in section 27-60-104 (10) at the school and send information

• Page 2, Line 13related to Colorado crisis services to parents or guardians at the beginning of each school year.

• Page 2, Line 14SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-5-109, amend (2) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 1523-5-109.  Identification - suicide and crisis prevention - rules.

• Page 2, Line 16(2)  Each student identification card issued after August 1, 2023, to a

• Page 2, Line 17public or private postsecondary school student must include the phone

• Page 2, Line 18number and text talk number for the statewide behavioral health crisis

• Page 2, Line 19response system, commonly referred to as "Colorado crisis services", as

• Page 2, Line 20described in section 27-60-104, and information on the national

• Page 2, Line 21three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988. The public or private

• Page 2, Line 22postsecondary school may include information about other available crisis

• Page 3, Line 1services and other services on the identification card, including local

• Page 3, Line 2campus crisis and suicide prevention numbers. The public or private

• Page 3, Line 3postsecondary school is not required to reprint or reissue identification

• Page 3, Line 4cards in use before August 1, 2023. If, at any time, a private or public

• Page 3, Line 5postsecondary school has current students still using identification cards

• Page 3, Line 6without the information required by this section, the school shall

• Page 3, Line 7distribute the phone number and text talk number for Colorado crisis

• Page 3, Line 8services, as described in section 27-60-104, and information on the

• Page 3, Line 9national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988 to all students

• Page 3, Line 10at the beginning of each school semester or trimester until all students

• Page 3, Line 11have identification cards with the required information. If a private or

• Page 3, Line 12public postsecondary school does not issue or use student identification

• Page 3, Line 13cards, the school shall distribute the phone number and text talk number

• Page 3, Line 14for Colorado crisis services, as described in section 27-60-104, and

• Page 3, Line 15information on the national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline

• Page 3, Line 16number 988 to all students at the beginning of each school semester or trimester.

• Page 3, Line 17SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-60-103, amend (1)(b)(V); and repeal (1)(b)(I) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 1827-60-103.  Behavioral health crisis response system - services

• Page 3, Line 19- request for proposals - criteria - reporting - rules - definitions -

• Page 3, Line 20repeal. (1) (b)  The components of the crisis response system must reflect

• Page 3, Line 21a continuum of care from crisis response through stabilization and safe

• Page 3, Line 22return to the community, with adequate support for transitions to each stage. Specific components include:

• Page 3, Line 23(I)  A twenty-four-hour telephone crisis service that is staffed by

• Page 3, Line 24skilled professionals who are capable of assessing child, adolescent, and adult crisis situations and making the appropriate referrals;

• Page 4, Line 1(V)  Funding for a public information campaign and to ensure

• Page 4, Line 2that individuals calling or texting the legacy statewide telephone crisis lines are routed to the 988 crisis line.

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

• Page 4, Line 427-60-104.5.  Behavioral health capacity tracking system -

• Page 4, Line 5rules - legislative declaration - definitions. (3)  Pursuant to subsection

• Page 4, Line 6(8) of this section, the BHA shall implement a behavioral health capacity tracking system, which must include the following:

• Page 4, Line 7(c)  Coordination with the telephone crisis service that is part of

• Page 4, Line 8the behavioral health crisis response system pursuant to section 27-60-103 988 crisis hotline created pursuant to section 27-64-103;

• Page 4, Line 9(8)  Subject to available appropriations, the BHA shall implement

• Page 4, Line 10a centralized, web-based tracking system as described in this section and

• Page 4, Line 11shall ensure that appropriate tracking system information is available to

• Page 4, Line 12the public. The contractor of the twenty-four-hour telephone crisis

• Page 4, Line 13services provided pursuant to section 27-60-103 shall use the tracking system as an available service resource locator.

• Page 4, Line 14SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-64-103, amend (4)(d)(I) and (7) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 1527-64-103.  988 crisis hotline enterprise - creation - powers and duties. (4)  The enterprise's primary powers and duties are to:

• Page 4, Line 16(d) (I)  Engage the services of third parties serving as crisis

• Page 4, Line 17vendors to provide crisis outreach; stabilization, including, but not

• Page 4, Line 18limited to, recovery support and mobile response units; acute care;

• Page 4, Line 19and marketing for the 988 crisis hotline;

• Page 5, Line 1(7)  The enterprise shall consider recommendations from the state's

• Page 5, Line 2988 planning committee to determine how the 988 crisis hotline will

• Page 5, Line 3interact with the twenty-four-hour telephone crisis services established in

• Page 5, Line 4section 27-60-103 (1)(b)(I) funding to ensure that individuals

• Page 5, Line 5calling or texting the legacy statewide telephone crisis lines are routed to the 988 crisis hotline.

• Page 5, Line 6SECTION 6.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-65-106, amend (8)(a)(VI) and (8)(d)(I) as follows:

• Page 5, Line 727-65-106.  Emergency mental health hold - screening -

• Page 5, Line 8court-ordered evaluation - discharge instructions - respondent's

• Page 5, Line 9rights. (8) (a)  The facility shall provide each person detained for an

• Page 5, Line 10emergency mental health hold discharge instructions. The discharge

• Page 5, Line 11instructions must be completed for every person, regardless of the

• Page 5, Line 12person's discharge status, before the person is released. If the detained

• Page 5, Line 13person refuses to accept the discharge instructions, the refusal must be

• Page 5, Line 14documented in the person's medical record. At a minimum, the discharge instructions must include:

• Page 5, Line 15(VI)  The phone number to call or text the Colorado crisis services

• Page 5, Line 16hotline Information on the 988 crisis hotline operated pursuant

• Page 5, Line 17to section 27-64-103 and information on the availability of peer support services;

• Page 5, Line 18(d) (I)  The facility shall, at a minimum, attempt to follow up with

• Page 5, Line 19the person, the person's parent or legal guardian, or the person's lay

• Page 5, Line 20person at least forty-eight hours after discharge. The facility is

• Page 5, Line 21encouraged to utilize peer support professionals, as defined in section

• Page 5, Line 2227-60-108 (2)(b), when performing follow-up care with individuals and

• Page 5, Line 23in developing a continuing care plan pursuant to subsection (8)(a)(I) of

• Page 6, Line 1this section. The facility may facilitate follow-up care through contracts

• Page 6, Line 2with community-based behavioral health providers or the Colorado

• Page 6, Line 3behavioral health crisis hotline 988 crisis hotline operated pursuant

• Page 6, Line 4to section 27-64-103. If the facility facilitates follow-up care through a

• Page 6, Line 5third-party contract, the facility shall obtain authorization from the person to provide follow-up care.

• Page 6, Line 6SECTION 7.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-65-119, amend (1)(d) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 727-65-119.  Rights of respondents certified for short-term

• Page 6, Line 8treatment or long-term care and treatment. (1)  Each respondent

• Page 6, Line 9certified for short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment on an

• Page 6, Line 10inpatient basis pursuant to sections 27-65-108.5, 27-65-109, and

• Page 6, Line 1127-65-110 has the following rights and shall be advised of such rights by the facility:

• Page 6, Line 12(d)  To meet with or call a personal clinician, spiritual advisor,

• Page 6, Line 13counselor, crisis hotline the 988 crisis hotline, family member, workplace, child care provider, or school at all reasonable times;

• Page 6, Line 14SECTION 8.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-80-129, amend (7)(c)(IV) and (7)(e) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 1527-80-129.  Regulation of recovery residences - rules -

• Page 6, Line 16definitions. (7) (c)  If a client is unable or no longer wishes to reside in

• Page 6, Line 17a recovery residence, or is discharged or transferred from a recovery

• Page 6, Line 18residence, prior to the client vacating the recovery residence, the recovery residence staff shall:

• Page 6, Line 19(IV)  Provide the client with the phone number to contact the

• Page 6, Line 20Colorado crisis services hotline 988 crisis hotline operated pursuant

• Page 6, Line 21to section 27-64-103, information on the availability of peer support

• Page 7, Line 1services, and information about the behavioral health services directory provided by the behavioral health administration.

• Page 7, Line 2(e)  The recovery residence shall, at a minimum, attempt to follow

• Page 7, Line 3up with the client's designated emergency contact at the time of discharge.

• Page 7, Line 4The recovery residence is encouraged to utilize peer support

• Page 7, Line 5professionals, as defined in section 27-60-108, when performing

• Page 7, Line 6follow-up care with clients a recovery residence may facilitate follow-up

• Page 7, Line 7care through contacts with community-based providers or the Colorado

• Page 7, Line 8crisis hotline 988 crisis hotline operated pursuant to section 27-64-103.

• Page 7, Line 9SECTION 9.  Appropriation - adjustments to 2025 long bill.

• Page 7, Line 10(1)  To implement this act, appropriations made in the annual general

• Page 7, Line 11appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of

• Page 7, Line 12human services for use by the behavioral health administration are adjusted as follows:

• Page 7, Line 13(a)  The general fund appropriation for behavioral health crisis response system services is decreased by $200,000; and

• Page 7, Line 14(b)  The appropriation for the behavioral health crisis response

• Page 7, Line 15system telephone hotline is decreased by $3,863,938, which consists of

• Page 7, Line 16$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.

• Page 7, Line 17(2)  For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $3,863,938 is appropriated

• Page 7, Line 18to the department of human services for use by the behavioral health

• Page 7, Line 19administration. This appropriation is from the 988 crisis hotline cash fund

• Page 7, Line 20created in section 27-64-104 (1), C.R.S. This figure is subject to the "(I)"

• Page 7, Line 21notation as defined in the annual general appropriation act for the same

• Page 7, Line 22fiscal year. To implement this act, the administration may use this

• Page 8, Line 1appropriation for the behavioral health crisis response system telephone hotline.

• Page 8, Line 2SECTION 10.  Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2025.

• Page 8, Line 3SECTION 11.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds,

• Page 8, Line 4determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate

• Page 8, Line 5preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for

• Page 8, Line 6the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.