3AAFF70563C814BB8725881400763706 Hearing Summary

Representative Amabile and Representative Sandridge, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 22-1303, concerning an increase in the number of residential behavioral health beds. The bill requires an increase in the number of residential behavioral health beds, creates a new Medicaid provider type, and includes an appropriation of $65.0 million from the Behavioral and Mental Health Cash Fund in the Department of Human Services.

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Lauren Snyder, representing Mental Health Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Sarah Morales, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Ethan Morales, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Cristen Bates, representing the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, testified in support of the bill.

Dan West, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Barb West, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

DeShawn Stewart, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Phoebe Norton, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Marilyn Fausset, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Patrice Marqui, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Joshua Hursa, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members made comments to the panelists.

Perry May, representing the Colorado Department of Human Services, testified in support of the bill.

Alexis Alltop, representing Healthier Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Patricia Westmoreland, representing the Colorado Psychiatric Society, testified in support of the bill.

Meghan Baker, representing Disability Law Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Gregory King, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Theresa Schiavone, representing the National Alliance on Mental Illness, testified in support of the bill.

Sylvia Tawse, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Heather Contessa, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Joseph Bowers, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Sabah Muhammad, representing the Treatment Advocacy Center, testified in support of the bill.

Amy Lyden-Cardinal, representing the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, testified to amend the bill.

Leslie Kalechman, representing AARP Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Bonita Bowman, representing self, testified on the bill.

Written testimony was submitted to the committee (Attachment G).

Representative Amabile explained amendment L.001 (Attachment H).

Representative Amabile and Representative Sandridge made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.