First Regular Session | 73rd General Assembly
Colorado General AssemblyThis issue brief provides a summary of the federal legislation that was passed in response to the COVID‑19, or coronavirus, public health emergency.
Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who requires assistance to care for themselves. Care can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family member, volunteer...
Vaccinations offer protection from common infectious diseases. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends specific vaccines for all infants, children, and adults during their lifetime to provide immunity from preventable illness. A recent analysis estimated that...
The harmful effects of secondhand smoke and emissions from tobacco, marijuana, and electronic smoking devices continue to be an issue in Colorado. Since 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer. The Centers for Disease...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease. Isolation separates sick people with a communicable disease from people...
According to the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC), between 2012 to 2017, the number of inmates who had moderate to severe mental health needs increased by 7 percent. Additionally, a steep increase in court-ordered competency evaluations and restorative treatments has caused a shortage...
This issue brief addresses Colorado’s emergency mental health hold procedure, which allows for an individual to be involuntarily held for a 72‑hour period of treatment and evaluation if he or she appears to have a mental illness and, due to the mental illness, appears to be an imminent...
This issue brief addresses the state’s emergency mental health hold procedure, which allows for a person to be involuntarily held for a 72-hour period of treatment and evaluation if he or she appears to have a mental illness and, due to the mental illness, appears to be an imminent danger to...
The U.S. Constitution guarantees each citizen the right to a fair trial, which includes the right to be present at the trial, able to understand the nature of the proceedings, and able to participate in his or her defense. Whether the defendant’s mental health impaired his or her ability to...
This issue brief outlines Colorado's efforts to address issues associated with persons with mental illness in the criminal justice system.
Colorado was tied for the fifth highest suicide rate in the nation in 2014, the most recent year of nationally available data. In 2015, there were 1,093 suicides among Colorado residents, which is the highest number of suicides in the state’s history. This issue brief outlines legislative...
Federal and state laws allow Medicaid applicants and clients who have their benefits denied, terminated, or reduced to appeal the decision. This issue brief provides an overview of the Medicaid appeals process in Colorado.
Concern over the detrimental effects of secondhand tobacco smoke on nonsmokers has grown in recent years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known cause of cancer in humans in a December 1992 report. In an effort to reduce the risk of tobacco smoke-...