No joke

February 9, 2018

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

Two Democrats and two Republicans walk into a room. A brawl doesn’t break out.

There’s no punchline here—just a welcome display of bipartisanship. That’s the story behind House Bill 1094, one of our top priorities in this year’s legislative session.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Leslie Herod (D-Denver) and Cole Wist (R-Centennial) and Sens. Beth Martinez Humenik (R-Thornton) and Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City), would reauthorize the Child Mental Health Treatment Act, which is due to expire next year. The law provides community, residential, and transitional mental health services for children who are at risk of out-of-home placement.

Since its enactment in 1999, the Child Mental Health Treatment Act has served more than 1,000 families in Colorado—without forcing them to give up custody of their children. HB 1094 would make the law permanent and raise the age of eligibility from 18 to 21.

The bill faces its first vote in the House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Join us in supporting HB 1094 by contacting your representative today.

-Andrew Romanoff

February 9, 2018