Marchman’s Bipartisan Bill to Improve Mental Health in Rural Colorado Clears Senate

Legislation would create a behavioral health liaison position for agricultural and rural communities

DENVER, CO – Today the Senate approved Senator Janice Marchman’s, D-Loveland, bipartisan bill to promote and support mental health care in rural and agricultural communities.

SB24-055, cosponsored by Senator Perry Will, R-New Castle, would improve access to behavioral health care in rural Colorado by creating a new Agricultural and Rural Community Behavioral Health program that would work to better connect farmers, ranchers, and their families with behavioral health care. The program would partner with the Department of Agriculture, health providers, and directly with agriculture communities throughout Colorado.

“Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and their families are struggling to get the behavioral health care they urgently need, and the results have been disastrous,” Marchman said.  “Everyone deserves to have behavioral health care created by and for their own communities. This bill will bolster our ongoing efforts to close the rural mental health gap, and ultimately help save lives across our state.” 

The bill would also establish a working group and centralize existing grant programs within the Department of Agriculture to better address the root causes of behavioral health issues in rural and agricultural communities. 

SB24-055 now heads to the House for further consideration. Follow the bill’s progress HERE.