Colorado § 24-33.5-532 - Behavioral health information and data-sharing in the criminal justice system - grants - appropriation - repeal.

§ 24-33.5-532. Behavioral health information and data-sharing in the criminal justice system - grants - appropriation - repeal.

(1) There is established in the division the behavioral health information and data-sharing program to enable jails to exchange behavioral health, housing, and demographic information with the Colorado integrated criminal justice information system in order to maintain continuity of care as persons detained in a jail transfer between criminal justice agencies and the community.

(2) (a) As part of the program, the division shall issue one-time grants to counties. Every county is eligible for a grant. A county that receives a grant shall use the grant money to:

(I) Integrate the county jail's data systems with the Colorado integrated criminal justice information system;

(II) Standardize client-specific information through common data fields relating to the behavioral, mental, and physical health needs of persons detained in the jail; housing needs for persons following release from jail; and demographic information of persons detained in the jail; and

(III) Automate data reporting required pursuant to state and federal law.

(b) The division shall develop policies for awarding grants; a process for counties to apply for and receive a grant, including grant application deadlines; and a process for determining the amount of a grant award. The division shall make the policies publicly available on its website and shall not set a grant application deadline earlier than twenty-eight days after the policies are made public. The division shall provide, upon request, assistance to counties with applying for a grant. Subject to available appropriations, the division shall award grants to counties that apply for a grant and whose application is approved by the application review committee described in subsection (2)(c) of this section.

(c) The division shall convene an application review committee to review the grant applications. The committee consists of a representatives from the division, the office of information technology created in section 24-37.5-103, the Colorado integrated criminal justice information system program, and the behavioral health administration. The review committee shall review each grant application to ensure that each proposed project has justifiable costs and includes plans to use technology that meets state standards, and that all data exchange requirements will be added to the applicant's jail management system, as defined in section 17-26-118. The division shall provide technical assistance to jails that need help to determine costs, technology, and data requirements.

(3) The division shall collaborate with the office of information technology, created in section 24-37.5-103, to oversee the implementation of any data-sharing systems or software necessary to exchange information with the Colorado integrated criminal justice information system to ensure continuity of care for persons who are detained.

(4) For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate three million five hundred thousand dollars from the behavioral and mental health cash fund created in section 24-75-230 to the department for the purposes of this section. Any money remaining at the end of the 2022-23 state fiscal year from this appropriation is further appropriated to the department for the purposes of this section. The department shall obligate and spend the money received pursuant to this subsection (4) in accordance with section 24-75-226 (4)(d).

(5) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2027.

Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (SB 22-196), ch. 193, p. 1291, § 6, effective May 19. L. 2023: (4) and (5) amended, (SB 23-277), ch. 443, p. 2595, § 5, effective June 7. L. 2024: (4) amended, (HB 24-1466), ch. 429, p. 2940, § 22, effective June 5.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 22-196, see section 1 of chapter 193, Session Laws of Colorado 2022. For the legislative declaration in HB 24-1466, see section 1 of chapter 429, Session Laws of Colorado 2024.