Senate Approves Lee’s Bipartisan Bills to Help Coloradans With Behavioral Health Needs Get Treatment, Not Punishment & Expand Court Text Reminder Program

DENVER, CO – The Senate today unanimously approved two bipartisan bills sponsored by Senator Pete Lee (D-Colorado Springs) that would expand a pretrial diversion program to help more Coloradans with behavioral health conditions get the treatment they need, and make court text message reminders automatic to address unnecessary incarceration and save Coloradans money. 

SB22-010, co-sponsored by Senator Cleave Simpson (R-Alamosa), would empower District Attorneys to divert eligible individuals away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate community treatment programs, reducing recidivism and preventing further criminal behavior.

“A jail cell is no place for someone with a mental health condition or substance use disorder. Diverting folks away from the criminal justice system and into community programs will ensure individuals in crisis are met with treatment, not punishment,” said Sen. Lee. “Expanding our existing pretrial diversion program to include individuals with behavioral health disorders means we’ll soon be able to extend critical aid to even more folks in need.”

The Senate also passed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Lee and Senator John Cooke (R-Greeley) that would update Colorado’s court text message reminder system by expanding the use of automated court date text reminders and turning the reminder program into an opt-out system instead of an opt-in system.

The bill, SB22-018, aims to improve accountability by increasing court appearance rates, save time and money for sheriffs, courts and police, and avoid filling jails with people who missed a court date. 

“We should not be filling our jail cells with folks who simply miss their court date, but that is too often the case here in Colorado,” said Sen. Lee. “This bill is a commonsense step that will not only make it easier for people to remember their court dates, but also reduce needless incarceration while saving taxpayers money.”

Missed court appearances are costly for courts, sheriffs, police, crime survivors and people accused of crimes. Court reminders are the only evidence-based method of improving court appearance rates.

Both bills now move to the House for further consideration. Track the progress of the SB22-010 HERE and SB22-018 HERE.