SB22-147 (Kolker & Sonnenberg/Young & Pelton) Concerning Behavioral Health Care Integration Services for Children
Summary
This bill appropriates $5 million in federal stimulus funds to the School Health Professional Grant Program. The bill also appropriates $1.5 million in federal stimulus funds for school-based health centers. Additionally, the bill creates the Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation and Access Program (CoPPCAP) and appropriates $4.6 million in federal stimulus funds to the program.
Position
The Children’s Campaign supports this bill. The School Health Professional Grant Program provides funding for schools to increase the number of health professionals and support the behavioral health of all students. However, every year, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) receives more requests for funding than it can fulfill. Increased funding would allow CDE to approve additional applications. This would allow more schools and districts to provide behavioral health supports for students as one part of the solution to increasing behavioral health staff in schools. In addition, school-based health centers are critical for supporting the physical and behavioral health of students and for integrating student health supports into school settings.
Current Status
The bill was signed into law by Gov. Polis on May 17.
Previous Statuses
May 8, 2022
The bill passed out of the House on a bipartisan vote of 52-10. It now heads to the governor for his signature.
May 1, 2022
The bill passed out of the House Appropriations Committee. It now heads to the House Committee of the Whole.
April 8, 2022
The bill passed out of the Senate and was recently introduced and assigned to the House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee.
March 25, 2022
The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sarah Barnes, Manager of Special Policy Initiatives, testified in support.
March 20, 2022
Scheduled to be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on March 23 at 1:30 p.m.
March 11, 2022
Introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Health & Human Services Committee.
