Concerning measures to improve access to mental health services, and, in connection therewith, creating an enterprise to impose a fee to fund mental health services and creating a program to facilitate access to mental health services for ad...
Summary
SB 26-008 would create the Colorado Mental Health Access Act, establishing a new adult mental health services program and an internet-enabled mental health access grant program. The adult program would help eligible adults access mental health and substance use disorder services by reimbursing participating providers for up to six sessions per participant, with the possibility of additional sessions if funding remains available. It would also require a web-based portal for screening, provider matching, and scheduling, including telehealth appointments, and would direct the enterprise to conduct outreach and collect annual feedback and evaluation data.
The bill also creates a new Mental Health Services Enterprise within the Behavioral Health Administration to finance these programs. Beginning in 2027, the enterprise would impose and collect a monthly surcharge of up to 25 cents on Colorado internet service account holders, with internet service providers responsible for collecting and remitting the charge. Revenue would be deposited into a dedicated cash fund and used first to support the adult mental health program before funding grants to entities that use internet-based tools to facilitate mental health services. The bill includes reporting requirements to the General Assembly and public transparency obligations under Colorado open meetings and open records laws.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would add a new part to title 27 governing mental health access and would create a new state enterprise, cash fund, surcharge collection system, and grant program. It would affect internet service providers and internet account holders by requiring a separately stated monthly surcharge on bills, while also establishing reimbursement rules for mental health providers and administrative duties for the Behavioral Health Administration and the enterprise board. The bill also makes explicit constitutional findings intended to classify the surcharge as a fee rather than a tax and to keep the enterprise outside TABOR revenue limits, while requiring ongoing annual reports to legislative committees.
Sentiment
The bill’s stated purpose is broadly supportive of expanding mental health access, especially through telehealth and internet-based services, and the structure suggests a policy approach aimed at statewide access and provider participation. However, the available legislative history shows the bill was not advanced and was postponed indefinitely in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, indicating that it did not secure enough support to move forward. No vote tally or committee transcript is provided, so the overall sentiment can only be characterized as mixed or uncertain, with the proposal ultimately failing at committee.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is the funding mechanism: the bill would impose a new surcharge on internet service account holders, which may be viewed by opponents as a tax-like charge despite the bill’s declaration that it is a fee. Related concerns may include whether the enterprise structure properly avoids TABOR restrictions, whether the surcharge is justified for internet users who may not directly use the services, and whether the program’s administrative and reporting framework is sufficiently detailed. Supporters would likely emphasize expanded access to mental health and substance use disorder care, telehealth convenience, and grant funding for internet-enabled service delivery.