988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network

The act implements 988 as the 3-digit number for crisis response services in Colorado by creating the 988 crisis hotline enterprise (enterprise) in the department of human services (department) to fund the 988 crisis hotline and provide crisis outreach, stabilization, and acute care to individuals calling the 988 crisis hotline.

Effective January 1, 2022, the enterprise shall impose a 988 surcharge (surcharge) on service users in an amount to be established annually by the enterprise, in collaboration with the public utilities commission (commission) but not to exceed 30 cents per month. The act requires each service supplier to collect the surcharge from its service users and remit the collected surcharges to the commission on a monthly basis. The state treasurer shall credit the surcharge collections to the 988 surcharge cash fund (fund).

Effective January 1, 2022, the enterprise shall impose a prepaid wireless 988 charge on each retail transaction in an amount to be established annually by the enterprise, in collaboration with the commission but not to exceed 30 cents per each retail transaction. The act requires each seller to collect the prepaid wireless 988 charge from the consumer on each retail transaction occurring in the state and remit the collected charges to the department of revenue. The state treasurer shall credit the prepaid wireless 988 charge to the fund.

On or before July 1, 2022, the enterprise shall fund a nonprofit organization to operate the 988 crisis hotline and provide intervention services and crisis care coordination to individuals calling the 988 crisis hotline.

Beginning January 1, 2023, and each January 1 thereafter, the department shall submit information about the usage of the 988 crisis hotline center to the federal substance abuse and mental health services administration and information about the expenditures of the fund to the federal communications commission, and the department shall annually report progress on the implementation of the 988 crisis hotline to the general assembly.

The act appropriates $5,687,692 to the department of human services for use by the office of behavioral health, $74,566 to the department of revenue, and $1,966 to the department of personnel to implement the act.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)