HB 23-1153

House Bill 23-1153, known as "Pathways To Behavioral Health Care," requires the Colorado Department of Human Services to hire an independent third party to study how a system can better support people with serious mental illnesses by working together with both behavioral health and judicial systems. The bill also mandates that the department report its findings and recommendations to state officials by March 1, 2024. It allocates $300,000 for this feasibility study in the current fiscal year. Governor Jared Polis signed the bill into law on May 30, 2023, making it effective immediately. This means that the necessary steps to conduct the study are now underway and funded.

Official Summary

The act requires the state department of human services (state department) to contract with an independent third party to conduct a feasibility study to determine the feasibility of creating a system to support individuals with serious mental illness through a collaboration between Colorado's behavioral health and judicial systems. The act requires the state department to work with the behavioral health administration, department of local affairs, department of public safety, department of health care policy and financing, judicial department, and other state agencies to determine the eligibility requirements and application process for selecting the independent third party. The act requires the state department to submit a report detailing the findings and recommendations from the feasibility study to the general assembly, the governor's office, and impacted state agencies by March 1, 2024. The act appropriates $300,000 to the state department in state fiscal year 2023-24 for purposes of conducting the feasibility study. The appropriation consists of $160,000 from the general fund and $140,000 from the behavioral and mental health cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 30, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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