8B03424BD36B569287258838005B0F52 Hearing Summary

Representative Lindsay, bill co-prime sponsor, introduced Senate Bill 22-187. In 2007, House Bill 07-1064 created a grant program in the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Department of Public Safety to provide up to $380,000 in state funds to counties to cover the costs of establishing programs to track persons at risk of wandering. Grant money was to be used for startup capital equipment costs and initial training of search personnel and inventory, including transmitters or any other related equipment or training required to implement the program. Funding has not been provided to this program since the initial years of its creation and it is not currently awarding grants. The bill expands the grant program, renamed as the Recovery Program for Persons Who Wander (recovery program), to include municipalities, any combination of counties and municipalities, and local government designees. The bill removes the award and funding limits and authorizes grant money to be expended for startup and maintenance costs of recovery programs, including equipment, training of search personnel, and outreach costs. It also renames the program’s cash fund as the Recovery Program for Persons Who Wander Cash Fund.

Representative Cutter, bill co-prime sponsor, gave opening comments on the bill.

The bill sponsors answered questions from the committee.

Ms. Coral Cosway, representing the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Representative Cutter and Representative Lindsay gave final comments on the bill.