HB 25-1132: Military Family Behavioral Health Grant Program - Colorado

Rerevised (04/04/2025) → Revised (04/03/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to update its title and sponsorship information, reflecting that amendments were adopted on second reading in the Senate rather than being unamended. Substantively, the bill now explicitly allows eligible veterans to receive up to 26 reimbursed mental health sessions per year, including additional sessions if deemed necessary by a healthcare professional and complementary behavioral health services such as acupuncture, healing touch therapy, and massage.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include complementary behavioral health services like acupuncture, healing touch therapy, and massage as reimbursable options for veterans, in addition to standard mental health sessions.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible veterans are now explicitly authorized to receive up to 26 reimbursed mental health sessions per year.

REQUIREMENT

Healthcare professionals may determine and receive reimbursement for additional sessions if they deem them necessary for the veteran's care.

Complementary behavioral health services including acupuncture, healing touch therapy, and massage are now included as reimbursable services.

TECHNICAL

Title and sponsorship information were updated to reflect that amendments were adopted on second reading in the Senate rather than being unamended.

PA2 (03/03/2025) → Rerevised (04/04/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was revised from a preliminary version to a re-revised version that includes all amendments adopted in the Second House. The primary change is the addition of new co-sponsors to both the House and Senate, expanding the bipartisan support for the Military Family Behavioral Health Grant Program. The substantive policy content regarding the grant program, reimbursement limits, and service provisions remains unchanged from the earlier version.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on creating a grant program for local nonprofits to provide behavioral health services to military families and veterans, with no changes to the program's applicability or target population.

TECHNICAL

Added 10 new House co-sponsors (Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, English, Garcia, Hamrick, Joseph, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, McCluskie, Paschal, Ricks, Rutinel, Stewart K., Willford) and 12 new Senate co-sponsors (Ball, Coleman, Cutter, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Roberts, Rodriguez, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Winter F.)

Added version headers indicating 'REREVISED' status and '3rd Reading Unamended' dates for Senate (April 4, 2025) and House (April 3, 2025) readings

Removed preliminary version headers including 'PREAMENDED' and 'This Unofficial Version Includes Committee Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading'

Modified bill summary section to reflect updated reading dates and committee assignments, though the substantive summary text remains consistent

PA1 (02/20/2025) → PA2 (03/03/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify its purpose by adding language about reducing an appropriation, reorganize the list of eligible healthcare professionals by removing several alternative therapy licenses, and restructure the Veterans Mental Health Services Program section. These changes streamline the program's scope and potentially reduce administrative complexity.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing several alternative healthcare professions (such as massage therapists, acupuncturists, and craniosacral therapists) from the list of eligible healthcare professionals who can receive reimbursement under the Veterans Mental Health Services Program.

SCOPE

The bill's title was modified to explicitly state that it includes reducing an appropriation, clarifying the legislative intent.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed several healthcare professions from the list of eligible providers, including massage therapists, acupuncturists, healing touch practitioners, and craniosacral therapists.

DEFINITION

Reorganized the definitions section, moving the 'service member' definition and renumbering subsequent sections.

REQUIREMENT

Restructured the Veterans Mental Health Services Program section, changing the numbering and organization of reimbursement rules and division responsibilities.

TECHNICAL

Added language about reducing an appropriation in the bill's purpose statement, indicating a change in funding requirements.

Final Act (04/24/2025) → PA1 (02/20/2025) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a final act version to a pre-amendment draft version, restoring the original bill title and removing final signature language. The substantive policy content regarding the Veterans Mental Health Services Program remains unchanged, including definitions, reimbursement limits, and program structure.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on creating a grant program for military family behavioral health services within the Veterans Mental Health Services Program. No substantive scope changes were made.

TECHNICAL

Removed final act language indicating the bill was prepared for signatures and directing readers to consult legislative status sheets.

Added draft header information including 'First Regular Session', 'Seventy-fifth General Assembly', and 'PREAMENDED' status.

Changed bill title from 'CONCERNING CREATING THE MILITARY FAMILY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT PROGRAM IN THE VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION' to 'CONCERNING CREATING THE MILITARY FAMILY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANT PROGRAM IN THE VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM'.

Removed list of additional House and Senate sponsors that were present in the final act version.

Added bill summary section explaining the bill's purpose and noting that the summary reflects the bill as introduced.

Added page headers and line numbers consistent with draft bill formatting rather than final act formatting.

Signed Act (05/01/2025) → Final Act (04/24/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Veterans Mental Health Services Program by clarifying definitions, adjusting formatting of existing provisions, and removing detailed grant application requirements for local nonprofit organizations. The changes primarily involve technical formatting updates and the deletion of specific procedural rules for grant applications, which simplifies the program's administrative structure without altering core funding or eligibility criteria.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on veterans' mental health services, but the removal of detailed grant application procedures reduces administrative requirements for local nonprofit organizations receiving grants.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted detailed requirements for local nonprofit organizations to submit grant applications and demonstrate service needs to the Behavioral Health Administration.

DEFINITION

Updated formatting of statutory definitions, including changes to capitalization and spacing in the definitions section of the Veterans Mental Health Services Program.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting inconsistencies in the bill text, such as capitalization of section headers and spacing in statutory language.

Added a note indicating the bill has been prepared for signatures by legislative officers and the Governor.

Reengrossed (03/04/2025) → Signed Act (05/01/2025) · 5 edits · May 1, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add a new grant program for local nonprofit organizations to establish community behavioral health programs serving service members, veterans, and their families. The bill also updated definitions of eligible healthcare professionals to include massage therapists and acupuncturists, and clarified reimbursement rules for veterans' mental health services.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from solely reimbursing healthcare professionals for veteran mental health services to also creating a grant program for local nonprofits to provide behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and their families.

FISCAL

Added a new grant program allowing the Behavioral Health Administration to provide funding to local nonprofit organizations for establishing community behavioral health programs serving service members, veterans, and their families.

Added provisions allowing the Behavioral Health Administration to distribute additional grants to nonprofits that continue to meet performance metrics without requiring them to reapply.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded eligibility for grants to local nonprofit organizations that demonstrate they serve behavioral health needs of service members, veterans, and their family members in their locality.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'health-care professional' to explicitly include licensed massage therapists and acupuncturists alongside other mental health providers.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for the Behavioral Health Administration to post a list of participating healthcare professionals on its website and to inform veterans of their remaining reimbursable sessions each year.

Engrossed (03/03/2025) → Reengrossed (03/04/2025) · 3 edits · Apr 4, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to add more sponsors and update the bill summary to reflect third reading status. The substantive text regarding veteran mental health reimbursement requirements was removed, suggesting the bill may have been amended to change or eliminate those specific provisions.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding veteran mental health services reimbursement was reduced as the detailed requirements for health-care professionals to provide four mental health sessions were removed from the text.

TECHNICAL

Added eight new sponsors to the House sponsorship list (Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, English, Garcia, Hamrick, Joseph, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, McCluskie, Paschal, Ricks, Rutinel, Stewart K., Willford).

Updated the bill summary header to indicate '3rd Reading Unamended' with a March 4, 2025 date.

REQUIREMENT

Removed all text detailing the Veterans Mental Health Services Program requirement for health-care professionals to provide at least four mental health sessions to eligible veterans.

Introduced (01/28/2025) → Engrossed (03/03/2025) · 6 edits · Apr 4, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was amended to shift focus from a military family behavioral health grant program to a veterans mental health services program. The changes rename the program, update statutory references, and modify eligibility criteria to better align with veterans' mental health services rather than general military family support.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from creating a grant program for military families to establishing a reimbursement program specifically for veterans' mental health services within the Division of Veterans Affairs.

SCOPE

Program title changed from 'Military Family Behavioral Health Grant Program' to 'Veterans Mental Health Services Program'

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Behavioral Health Administration', 'Division', 'Eligible Veteran', 'Health-Care Professional', and 'Telehealth'

ELIGIBILITY

Replaced 'Eligible Individual' definition with specific 'Eligible Veteran' definition referencing Section 28-5-100.3

REQUIREMENT

Changed from grant-based funding for nonprofits to direct reimbursement for health-care professionals providing mental health sessions to veterans

Established specific session limits (26 sessions per year) and requirements for complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage

FISCAL

Updated funding references to direct reimbursement rather than grant awards to local nonprofit organizations

Military Family Behavioral Health Grant Program

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors