Colorado § 27-65-132 - Recognition of Tribal court commitment orders - applicability - process - definitions.

§ 27-65-132. Recognition of Tribal court commitment orders - applicability - process - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Behavioral health commitment order" or "commitment order" includes:

(I) Emergency mental health holds as described in section 27-65-106 or as described in Tribal codes;

(II) Certification for short-term treatment as described in section 27-65-109 or as described in Tribal codes;

(III) Long-term care and treatment of persons with mental health disorders as described in section 27-65-110 or as described in Tribal codes;

(IV) An emergency commitment as described in section 27-81-111 or as described in Tribal codes;

(V) An involuntary commitment of a person with a substance use disorder as described in section 27-81-112 or as described in Tribal codes; or

(VI) A commitment order permitted by federal, state, or Tribal law.

(b) "State" means the state of Colorado.

(c) "Tribal court" means any court or other federally or tribally established tribunal of a federally recognized Tribe duly established pursuant to federal law or Tribal law, including the Courts of Indian Offenses, Ute Mountain Ute agency, organized pursuant to 25 CFR part 11.

(d) "Tribe" means the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, or a federally recognized Tribe acknowledged by the "Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994", Pub.L. 103-454, 108 Stat. 4791.

(2) The state, county, or municipal law enforcement agencies; state courts; hospitals; behavioral health facilities; health-care providers; and others within the state responsible for providing services to the person subject to a behavioral health commitment order shall recognize a commitment order entered by the Tribal court of a federally recognized Tribe and that concerns a person under the Tribal court's jurisdiction to the same extent as a commitment order entered by a state court.

(3) A health-care provider may communicate with the officers of a Tribal court regarding a patient under the health-care provider's care pursuant to a Tribal court commitment order described in subsection (2) of this section, to the same extent that the health-care provider can communicate with officers of a court pursuant to a state court commitment order. Communications may include the nature of the treatment needed and provided, a patient's medical and mental health status, the extent to which the patient poses a danger to the patient's self or the community, and, if necessary, the need for additional treatment.

(4) If a Tribal court issues an order rescinding the Tribal court's original behavioral commitment order, the state, county, or municipal law enforcement agencies; state courts; hospitals; behavioral health facilities; health-care providers; and others within the state responsible for providing services to the person subject to a behavioral health commitment order shall recognize the order rescinding the Tribal court's original behavioral health commitment order and release the person subject to the behavioral health commitment order.

(5) This section applies to people subject to Tribal court behavioral health commitment orders.

Source: L. 2025: Entire section added, (SB 25-009), ch. 165, p. 670, § 2, effective May 5.

PART 2

CIVIL COMMITMENT OF INCOMPETENT AND UNRESTORABLE PERSON