What’s Happening in Colorado
* On November 1, Governor Jared Polis submitted his budget request for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
The proposal prioritizes housing, public safety, behavioral health, property taxes, and energy.
* On November 7, Colorado voters rejected Proposition HH – 59% to 40% – to address property tax relief by loosening spending restrictions under TABOR.
After the measure’s defeat, Governor Polis called the State Legislature to return for a four-day special legislative session to address issues. Legislators wrapped up on November 21 after passing 7 bills focused on tax relief.
Read more about the special session here.
* On November 15, the Legislative Council met and voted to introduce 54 bills drafted by the various interim committees that met over the last several months.
Bills included creating an enterprise to provide infrastructure improvements, overhauling the state’s system of care for Colorado children, and expanding youth behavioral health crisis services to de-escalate and stabilize youth experiencing a high-acuity crisis.
Read more about the bills here.
A View from Washington, D.C.
* Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced S. 3206: Agricultural Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Mental Health Care Act of 2023.
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the barriers that farming and ranching communities face to access mental and behavioral health care services.
* The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released its annual results of the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The report showed the state of the nation in terms of mental health, substance use, and treatment. Here are a few interesting findings: (1) More than 1 in 6 people ages 12 and older had a substance use need in 2022; (2) Nearly a quarter of adults had a mental health condition, including 1 in 12 experiencing both a mental health and substance use need; and (3) Over 1 in 8 adolescents had serious thoughts of suicide over the past year.
* The White House and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released three important resources.
They exist to help support federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments to improve coordination between health care, public health, and social services. The White House released the first ever U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health, in addition to a Call to Action to Address Health Related Social Needs, and a Medicaid and CHIP Health-Related Social Needs Framework.
