(1) There is created in the department of local affairs, referred to in this section as the "department", the peace officers mental health support grant program to provide grants of money to eligible agencies for the purpose of helping these agencies provide mental health services to peace officers, including:
On-scene response services to support peace officers' handling of persons with mental health disorders;
Counseling services;
Assistance for law enforcement agencies' development and implementation of policies to support peace officers who are involved in a shooting or a fatal use of force;
Training and education programs that teach peace officers the symptoms of jobrelated mental trauma and how to prevent and treat such trauma; and (e) Peer support programs.
(2) Grant recipients may use money received through the grant program to provide mental health services to peace officers, including:
On-scene response services to support peace officers' handling of persons with mental health disorders;
Counseling services;
Assistance for law enforcement agencies' development and implementation of policies to support peace officers who are involved in a shooting or a fatal use of force;
Training and education programs that teach peace officers the symptoms of jobrelated mental trauma and how to prevent and treat such trauma; and (e) Peer support programs.
(2.5) For the purposes of subsections (1)(b) and (2)(b) of this section, grant recipients may use money received through the grant program to reimburse peace officers who have paid the costs of their own counseling services.
Law enforcement agencies that apply for grants from the grant program are encouraged to do so, to the extent possible, in collaboration with the community mental health centers in their regions.
The department shall administer the grant program and, subject to available appropriations, shall award grants as provided in this section. Subject to available appropriations, grants shall be paid out of the fund created in subsection (10) of this section.
The executive director of the department, or the executive director's designee, shalldevelop such policies and procedures as are required in this section and such additional policies and procedures as may be necessary to implement the grant program. At a minimum, the policies and procedures must specify the time frames for applying for grants, the form of the grant program application, the time frames for distributing grant money, and criteria for the executive director, or the executive director's designee, to use in awarding and denying grants. The policies and procedures must also require the department to transfer grant money to each grant recipient as soon as is practicable after a grant application is approved.
To receive a grant, an eligible agency must submit an application to the departmentin accordance with policies and procedures developed by the executive director, or the executive director's designee.
(a) In accordance with a schedule to be determined pursuant to rules promulgated by the executive director of the department, each grant recipient shall submit to the department a report that describes and includes documentation of the grant recipient's use of the grant money. The report must also include any information required by the department pursuant to any policies or procedures developed by the department pursuant to subsection (5) of this section. In preparing each such report, each grant recipient shall redact the names and any other personal identifying information of each peace officer to whom the grant recipient provided services, training, or education with grant money.
(b) On and after November 1, 2021, the department shall include a summarized report of the activities of the grant program in the department's annual presentation to the committees of reference pursuant to section 2-7-203. Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the reporting requirements set forth in this section continue until the grant program is repealed pursuant to subsection (11) of this section.
The department may use up to five percent of the money annually appropriated forthe program to pay the direct and indirect costs that the department incurs in administering the grant program.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the department is not required toimplement the grant program until sufficient funds are received in the fund created in subsection (10) of this section.
(a) The peace officers mental health support fund, referred to in this section as the "fund", is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of gifts, grants, and donations credited to the fund pursuant to subsection (10)(b) of this section and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund. The executive director, or his or her designee, may expend money from the fund for the purposes of this section.
The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from privateor public sources for the purposes of this section. The department shall transmit all money received through gifts, grants, or donations to the state treasurer, who shall credit the money to the fund.
The state treasurer shall credit all interest and income derived from the deposit andinvestment of money in the fund to the fund. At the end of any fiscal year, all unexpended and unencumbered money in the fund remains therein and shall not be credited or transferred to the general fund or any other fund.
The state treasurer shall transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money in thefund on August 31, 2027, to the general fund.
(10.5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Eligible agency" means a law enforcement agency within the state or a peace officerorganization within the state.
"Law enforcement agency" means the Colorado state patrol, the Colorado bureau ofinvestigation, the department of corrections, the department of revenue, a county sheriff's office, a municipal police department, a campus police department, a town marshal's office, or the division of parks and wildlife.
"Peace officer organization" means:
A statewide association of police officers and former police officers; or
An organization within the state that provides services and programs that promotethe mental health wellness of peace officers and that has at least one peace officer or former peace officer serving on its board of directors or in a comparable capacity.
(11) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2027.
Source: L. 2017: Entire part added, (HB 17-1215), ch. 150, p. 507, § 3, effective August
9. L. 2019: (1), (2), (3), (5), (6), and (7) amended and (2.5) and (10.5) added, (HB 19-1244), ch. 223, p. 2252, § 1, effective August 2.