Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 22-0974.02 Jane Ritter x4342
HOUSE BILL 22-1369
House Committees Senate Committees
Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN 'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS .101
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 directs the department of early childhood to contract with
a Colorado-based nonprofit entity to provide children's mental health
programs.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Sirota and Pelton,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Story and Sonnenberg,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 26.5-1-105 as1
follows:2
26.5-1-105. Children's mental health program - appropriation3
- legislative declaration - definitions - repeal. (1) (a) T
HE GENERAL4
ASSEMBLY FINDS AND DECLARES THAT :5
(I) N
EUROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT STRESSFUL6
EXPERIENCES EARLY IN LIFE CAN HAVE PROFOUND AND DESTRUCTIVE7
IMPACTS ON THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BRAIN ;8
(II) A
DDITIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH HAS SHOWN , HOWEVER,9
THAT RESPONSIVE, NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOUNG10
CHILDREN AND THEIR CAREGIVERS THAT LEAD TO SECURE ATTACHMENT11
SERVE AS POWERFUL, PROTECTIVE BUFFERS TO STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES12
EARLY IN LIFE;13
(III) P
ROVIDING AN EVIDENCE-BASED, TWO-GENERATION, AND14
HOME-BASED PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION MENTAL HEALTH15
PROGRAM CAN PREVENT OR AMEL IORATE THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY16
STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES; AND17
(IV) I
T IS POSSIBLE TO DECREASE THE STRESS EXPERIENCED BY18
FAMILIES BY CONNECTING FAMILY MEMBERS TO NEEDED SERVICES19
THROUGH INTENSIVE CARE COORDINATION . BY PROVIDING20
PSYCHOTHERAPY TO A CAREGIVER AND CHILD TOGETHER , IT IS POSSIBLE21
TO REPAIR THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE CHILD AND STRENGTHEN THE22
CAREGIVING RELATIONSHIP.23
(b) T
HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS, THEREFORE, THAT:24
(I) G
IVEN THE HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES OF THE ECONOMIC25
DISRUPTIONS RESULTING FROM AND EXACERBATED BY THE COVID-1926
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY , IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STATE TO27
HB22-1369
-2- AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TO CONTRACT WITH1
A NONPROFIT ENTITY TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE -BASED, TWO-GENERATION,2
AND HOME-BASED PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION CHILDREN 'S3
MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS ; AND4
(II) T
HE PURPOSE OF CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS IS TO5
ENHANCE THE MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CAREGIVERS AND6
YOUNG CHILDREN. CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS MUST7
COMBINE COMPREHENSIVE , COORDINATED SERVICES AND8
PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS AND CHILDREN ,9
INCREASE ADULT SELF-REGULATION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING , AND10
RESULT IN LONG-TERM POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES .11
(c) I
T IS THE INTENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT THE12
DEPARTMENT AND A NONPROFIT ENTITY WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO13
SHARE INFORMATION AS NECESSARY TO PROMOTE EFFICIENT AND14
EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHILDREN 'S MENTAL HEALTH15
PROGRAMS IN COLORADO.16
(d) T
HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FURTHER FINDS AND DECLARES THAT17
CONTRACTING WITH A NONPROFIT ENTITY TO PROVIDE CHILDREN 'S18
MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS CONSTITUTES CRITICAL GOVERNMENT19
SERVICES.20
(2) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE21
REQUIRES:22
(a) "C
HILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM " MEANS AN23
EVIDENCE-BASED, TWO-GENERATION, AND HOME-BASED PREVENTION AND24
EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN FROM25
PRENATAL TO SIX YEARS OF AGE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC STRESS26
AND TRAUMA. A CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM MUST BE PROVEN27
HB22-1369
-3- TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE CHILD EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ,1
CHILD LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT , AND CAREGIVER MENTAL HEALTH , AS2
WELL AS DECREASE CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT , RESULTING IN3
LONG-TERM POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES .4
(b) "E
NTITY" MEANS A COLORADO-BASED NONPROFIT5
ORGANIZATION.6
(3) (a) O
N OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 1, 2022, THE DEPARTMENT7
SHALL CONTRACT WITH A COLORADO-BASED NONPROFIT ENTITY TO8
PROVIDE CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS . THE ENTITY MUST9
HAVE PREVIOUS AND CURRENT EXPERIENCE SERVING THE TARGET10
DEMOGRAPHIC USING A CURRICULUM THAT :11
(I) I
NCLUDES COMPONENTS THAT PROVIDE FOR INTERVENING WITH12
FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC13
STRESS AND TRAUMA. THE CURRICULUM MUST CONNECT THE FAMILIES TO14
NEEDED SERVICES THROUGH INTENSIVE CARE COORDINATION WHILE ALSO15
PROVIDING PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR THE CHILD AND PARENT OR GUARDIAN .16
(II) H
AS BEEN PREVIOUSLY IMPLEMENTED WITH SUCCESS BY17
PROVIDERS IN COLORADO.18
(b) T
HE ENTITY WITH WHICH THE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS SHALL :19
(I) P
ERFORM COMMUNITY IMPLEMENTATION READINESS20
ASSESSMENTS AND PROVIDE TRAINING , COACHING, AND MONITORING FOR21
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHILDREN 'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS ;22
(II) P
ROVIDE ONGOING QUALITY ASSESSMENTS AND IMPROVEMENT23
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE HIGH -QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION AND24
SUSTAINABILITY OF CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS ;25
(III) P
ROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT WITH SITE -SPECIFIC AND26
STATEWIDE PROCESS AND OUTCOME EVALUATIONS OF CHILDREN 'S MENTAL27
HB22-1369
-4- HEALTH PROGRAMS; AND1
(IV) A
NNUALLY PREPARE AND SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT AN2
EVALUATION OF THE OUTCOMES OF ALL OF THE CHILDREN 'S MENTAL3
HEALTH PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED .4
(4) (a) F
OR THE 2022-23 STATE FISCAL YEAR, THE GENERAL5
ASSEMBLY SHALL APPROPRIATE TWO MILLION DOLLARS TO THE6
DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION FROM7
THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND RELIEF CASH FUND CREATED IN SECTION8
24-75-228.
THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED TO EXPEND UP TO FIVE9
PERCENT TO PAY THE COSTS INCURRED IN IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION ,10
INCLUDING THE COSTS INCURRED IN CONTRACTING WITH A NONPROFIT11
ENTITY.12
(b) M
ONEY SPENT PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (4) MUST13
CONFORM WITH THE ALLOWABLE PURPOSES SET FORTH IN THE FEDERAL14
"A
MERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021", PUB.L. 117-2, AS AMENDED.15
T
HE DEPARTMENT SHALL EITHER SPEND OR OBLIGATE SUCH16
APPROPRIATION PRIOR TO DECEMBER 30, 2024, AND EXPEND THE17
APPROPRIATION ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2026.18
(c) T
HIS SUBSECTION (4) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1,19
2027.20
(5) T
HE DEPARTMENT AND THE CONTRACTED ENTITY SHALL21
COMPLY WITH THE COMPLIANCE , REPORTING, RECORD-KEEPING, AND22
PROGRAM EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE OFFICE OF23
STATE PLANNING AND BUDGETING AND THE STATE CONTROLLER IN24
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 24-75-226 (5).25
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,26
HB22-1369
-5- determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate1
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.2
HB22-1369
-6-