SB 25-235

Senate Bill 25-235 changes the funding rules for temporary care of children in Colorado. It moves up the deadline for certain existing provisions related to juvenile shelter care from June 30, 2026, to June 30, 2025, and reduces state funding for these programs by a specific amount. The bill also removes the requirement for a working group to create a formula for allocating money to judicial districts for temporary shelter placements. This affects how funds are managed and allocated for juvenile care services in Colorado. Since it has been signed into law, these changes will take effect as planned.

Official Summary

Existing law repeals the following provisions on June 30, 2026; the act changes the repeal date for those provisions to June 30, 2025: The requirement that the general assembly annually appropriate money to the state department of human services sufficient to fund 5 nights of care for each juvenile placed in a licensed temporary shelter; The process for a judicial district to receive a share of the money appropriated for temporary shelter placements and the permissible uses of the money; and The requirement that the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and the senate annually hold a joint meeting about the recommendations from the working group for criteria for placement of juvenile offenders (working group) regarding the placement of juveniles. The act repeals the requirement for the working group to create a formula for the allocation of money to judicial districts for the provision of temporary shelter for juveniles. The act decreases the state fiscal year 2025-26 appropriation to the department of human services for purchase of contract placements by $175,008 and for program administration related to community programs by $7,560. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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