First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the Second House
LLS NO. 25-0987.01 Chelsea Princell x4335
SENATE BILL 25-236
Senate Committees House Committees
Appropriations Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE COLORADO CRISIS HOTLINE101
AND THE 988 CRISIS HOTLINE ENTERPRISE, AND, IN CONNECTION102
THEREWITH, MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .103
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
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2025
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 3, 2025
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 2, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Bridges, Kirkmeyer
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Sirota and Taggart, Bird
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. the 988 crisis hotline.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 22-1-136 as2
follows:3
22-1-136. Student identification cards - information required.4
Each student identification card issued to a public school student must5
contain the phone number, website address, and text talk number for6
Colorado crisis services, as defined in section 27-60-104 INFORMATION7
ON THE 988 CRISIS HOTLINE, OPERATED PURSUANT TO SECTION 27-64-103,8
and the safe2tell program created in section 24-31-606. The public school9
may also include information regarding other available crisis services on10
the identification card. If a public school does not issue student11
identification cards, the public school shall display the materials12
described in section 27-60-104 (10) at the school and send information13
related to Colorado crisis services to parents or guardians at the beginning14
of each school year.15
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-5-109, amend (2)16
as follows:17
23-5-109. Identification - suicide and crisis prevention - rules.18
(2) Each student identification card issued after August 1, 2023, to a19
public or private postsecondary school student must include the phone20
number and text talk number for the statewide behavioral health crisis21
response system, commonly referred to as "Colorado crisis services", as22
described in section 27-60-104, and INFORMATION ON the national23
three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988. The public or private24
postsecondary school may include information about other available crisis25
236-2- services and other services on the identification card, including local1
campus crisis and suicide prevention numbers. The public or private2
postsecondary school is not required to reprint or reissue identification3
cards in use before August 1, 2023. If, at any time, a private or public4
postsecondary school has current students still using identification cards5
without the information required by this section, the school shall6
distribute the phone number and text talk number for Colorado crisis7
services, as described in section 27-60-104, and INFORMATION ON the8
national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number 988 to all students9
at the beginning of each school semester or trimester until all students10
have identification cards with the required information. If a private or11
public postsecondary school does not issue or use student identification12
cards, the school shall distribute the phone number and text talk number13
for Colorado crisis services, as described in section 27-60-104, and14
INFORMATION ON the national three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline15
number 988 to all students at the beginning of each school semester or16
trimester.17
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-60-103, amend18
(1)(b)(V); and repeal (1)(b)(I) as follows:19
27-60-103. Behavioral health crisis response system - services20
- request for proposals - criteria - reporting - rules - definitions -21
repeal. (1) (b) The components of the crisis response system must reflect22
a continuum of care from crisis response through stabilization and safe23
return to the community, with adequate support for transitions to each24
stage. Specific components include:25
(I) A twenty-four-hour telephone crisis service that is staffed by26
skilled professionals who are capable of assessing child, adolescent, and27
236
-3- adult crisis situations and making the appropriate referrals;1
(V) F
UNDING FOR a public information campaign AND TO ENSURE2
THAT INDIVIDUALS CALLING OR TEXTING THE LEGACY STATEWIDE3
TELEPHONE CRISIS LINES ARE ROUTED TO THE 988 CRISIS LINE.4
SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-60-104.5, amend5
(3)(c) and (8) as follows:6
27-60-104.5. Behavioral health capacity tracking system -7
rules - legislative declaration - definitions. (3) Pursuant to subsection8
(8) of this section, the BHA shall implement a behavioral health capacity9
tracking system, which must include the following:10
(c) Coordination with the telephone crisis service that is part of
11
the behavioral health crisis response system pursuant to section 27-60-10312
988
CRISIS HOTLINE CREATED PURSUANT TO SECTION 27-64-103;13
(8) Subject to available appropriations, the BHA shall implement14
a centralized, web-based tracking system as described in this section and15
shall ensure that appropriate tracking system information is available to16
the public. The contractor of the twenty-four-hour telephone crisis
17
services provided pursuant to section 27-60-103 shall use the tracking18
system as an available service resource locator.19
SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-64-103, amend20
(4)(d)(I) and (7) as follows:21
27-64-103. 988 crisis hotline enterprise - creation - powers and22
duties. (4) The enterprise's primary powers and duties are to:23
(d) (I) Engage the services of third parties serving as crisis24
vendors to provide crisis outreach; stabilization,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT25
LIMITED TO, RECOVERY SUPPORT AND MOBILE RESPONSE UNITS ; acute care;26
and marketing for the 988 crisis hotline;27
236
-4- (7) The enterprise shall consider recommendations from the state's1
988 planning committee to determine how the 988 crisis hotline will2
interact with the twenty-four-hour telephone crisis services established in3
section 27-60-103 (1)(b)(I) FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS4
CALLING OR TEXTING THE LEGACY STATEWIDE TELEPHONE CRISIS LINES5
ARE ROUTED TO THE 988 CRISIS HOTLINE.6
SECTION 6. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-65-106, amend7
(8)(a)(VI) and (8)(d)(I) as follows:8
27-65-106. Emergency mental health hold - screening -9
court-ordered evaluation - discharge instructions - respondent's10
rights. (8) (a) The facility shall provide each person detained for an11
emergency mental health hold discharge instructions. The discharge12
instructions must be completed for every person, regardless of the13
person's discharge status, before the person is released. If the detained14
person refuses to accept the discharge instructions, the refusal must be15
documented in the person's medical record. At a minimum, the discharge16
instructions must include:17
(VI) The phone number to call or text the Colorado crisis services18
hotline INFORMATION ON THE 988 CRISIS HOTLINE OPERATED PURSUANT19
TO SECTION 27-64-103 and information on the availability of peer support20
services;21
(d) (I) The facility shall, at a minimum, attempt to follow up with22
the person, the person's parent or legal guardian, or the person's lay23
person at least forty-eight hours after discharge. The facility is24
encouraged to utilize peer support professionals, as defined in section25
27-60-108 (2)(b), when performing follow-up care with individuals and26
in developing a continuing care plan pursuant to subsection (8)(a)(I) of27
236
-5- this section. The facility may facilitate follow-up care through contracts1
with community-based behavioral health providers or the Colorado2
behavioral health crisis hotline 988 CRISIS HOTLINE OPERATED PURSUANT3
TO SECTION 27-64-103. If the facility facilitates follow-up care through a4
third-party contract, the facility shall obtain authorization from the person5
to provide follow-up care.6
SECTION 7. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-65-119, amend7
(1)(d) as follows:8
27-65-119. Rights of respondents certified for short-term9
treatment or long-term care and treatment. (1) Each respondent10
certified for short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment on an11
inpatient basis pursuant to sections 27-65-108.5, 27-65-109, and12
27-65-110 has the following rights and shall be advised of such rights by13
the facility:14
(d) To meet with or call a personal clinician, spiritual advisor,15
counselor, crisis hotline THE 988 CRISIS HOTLINE, family member,16
workplace, child care provider, or school at all reasonable times;17
SECTION 8. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 27-80-129, amend18
(7)(c)(IV) and (7)(e) as follows:19
27-80-129. Regulation of recovery residences - rules -20
definitions. (7) (c) If a client is unable or no longer wishes to reside in21
a recovery residence, or is discharged or transferred from a recovery22
residence, prior to the client vacating the recovery residence, the recovery23
residence staff shall:24
(IV) Provide the client with the phone number to contact the25
Colorado crisis services hotline 988 CRISIS HOTLINE OPERATED PURSUANT26
TO SECTION 27-64-103, information on the availability of peer support27
236
-6- services, and information about the behavioral health services directory1
provided by the behavioral health administration.2
(e) The recovery residence shall, at a minimum, attempt to follow3
up with the client's designated emergency contact at the time of discharge.4
The recovery residence is encouraged to utilize peer support5
professionals, as defined in section 27-60-108, when performing6
follow-up care with clients a recovery residence may facilitate follow-up7
care through contacts with community-based providers or the Colorado8
crisis hotline 988 CRISIS HOTLINE OPERATED PURSUANT TO SECTION9
27-64-103.10
SECTION 9. Appropriation - adjustments to 2025 long bill.11
(1) To implement this act, appropriations made in the annual general12
appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of13
human services for use by the behavioral health administration are14
adjusted as follows:15
(a) The general fund appropriation for behavioral health crisis16
response system services is decreased by $200,000; and17
(b) The appropriation for the behavioral health crisis response18
system telephone hotline is decreased by $3,863,938, which consists of19
$3,496,622 from the general fund and $367,316 from the marijuana tax20
cash fund created in section 39-28.8-501 (1), C.R.S.21
(2) For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $3,863,938 is appropriated22
to the department of human services for use by the behavioral health23
administration. This appropriation is from the 988 crisis hotline cash fund24
created in section 27-64-104 (1), C.R.S. This figure is subject to the "(I)"25
notation as defined in the annual general appropriation act for the same26
fiscal year. To implement this act, the administration may use this27
236
-7- appropriation for the behavioral health crisis response system telephone1
hotline.2
SECTION 10. Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2025.3
SECTION 11. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,4
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate5
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for6
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state7
institutions.8
236
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