S_HHS_2017A 03/22/2017 Committee Summary

11:29 AM -- SB 17-234



Senator Kerr, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-234 to the committee. Under current law, reports to the General Assembly are scheduled to repeal after three years, unless the General Assembly continues them through a bill. This bill, recommended by the Statutory Revision Committee, continues various reports submitted to the General Assembly by the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS), allows other reports to repeal, and adds future repeal dates for others. The topic of these reports, and their status under the bill, are described below.



Reports to the General Assembly that continue indefinitely:



• juvenile justice recidivism (Section 3);

• out-of-home placement data in child welfare system (Section 4);

• emergency possession of abandoned children (Section 5);

• annual report on the operations of the Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman (Section 6);

• traumatic brain injury services and trust fund balance (Section 8);

• Child Care Assistance Program services and enrollment (Section 10);

• Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project (Section 11);

• family preservation services (Section 12);

• Colorado Infant and Toddler Quality and Availability Program (Section 14);

• veterans community living centers and the sale of land at the Fort Logan cemetery (Section 15);

• early intervention services (Section 16); and

• substance use disorder services and managed services organizations (Section 17).





Reports to the General Assembly that are discontinued, but reporting to other agencies continues:



• child support guidelines and information (Section 1);

• drug diversion program for controlled substances (Section 2);



Reports to the General Assembly that are given a future repeal date:



• rate setting for residential treatment providers (Section 7) - report to the Joint Budget Committee continues annually through 2020; and

• use of electronic benefits transfer services at restricted locations (Section 9) - report to the General Assembly continued through 2019.



Reports to the General Assembly that are repealed immediately:



• child care resource and referral system (Section 13); and

• costs and effectiveness of alcohol and drug abuse programs (Section 18).



11:32 AM -- Riley Kitts, DHS, told the committee about the department's request to remove the requirement to report on the recidivism rates for youth who are housed at the Ridge View Youth Services Center.

11:36 AM -- HB 17-1126 - Action Only



The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 17-1126 on March 16, 2017. Senator Crowder moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole.



11:37 PM



The committee recessed.





11:39 PM



The committee reconvened.

11:41 AM -- SB 17-242



Senator Martinez Humenik, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-242 to the committee. This bill updates terminology in state law related to behavioral health, mental health, alcohol abuse, and substance abuse to recognize them as specific types of disorders. It also corrects statutory references to the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services.



11:45 AM



Committee discussion followed.

11:47 AM -- SB 17-246



Senator Martinez Humenik, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-246 to the committee. This bill renames an existing oversight committee to the "Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems" (committee). It makes corresponding changes to the task force and cash fund and updates statutory terminology to read "mental health disorder" rather than "mental illness." Finally, it clarifies that the committee report due each January 15 to the General Assembly continues indefinitely, removes obsolete statutory language, and corrects statutory references to the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services.

11:49 AM



Senator Smallwood adjourned the meeting.