Trio of Michaelson Jenet Bills to Improve Access to Physical & Behavioral Health Care Pass Committee

The bills would increase access to medical equipment, update regulations on psilocybin medicine, and implement new guidelines for electroconvulsive treatment

DENVER, CO – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee today passed three pieces of legislation sponsored by Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, to expand access to physical and behavioral health care. 

“I have always been a fierce advocate for ensuring Coloradans can access the care they need to live a full, healthy life,” said Michaelson Jenet. “Occupational therapists know what their patients need, and HB25-1016 will make a real difference in Coloradans’ lives by allowing them to prescribe critical medical equipment like crutches, oxygen tanks, and wheelchairs. My other two bills that passed today will ensure that Coloradans struggling with severe mental illness have access to innovative and life-saving treatments. These bills are about giving Coloradans the care they need, when they need it.” 

HB25-1016 would allow occupational therapists to prescribe durable medical equipment, like ventilators and wheelchairs, without requiring a prescription from a licensed physician, leading to increased access, better health outcomes, and a higher quality of life for occupational therapy patients. 

HB25-1063 is a bipartisan bill that would make a prescription medication that includes crystalline polymorph psilocybin legal to prescribe, dispense, distribute, possess, use, and market in Colorado upon its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This bill does not allow access to drugs that have not been FDA-approved.

Colorado became the second state in the nation to legalize psychedelic therapy when voters passed Proposition 122 in 2022. In June 2023, the FDA published guidance for researchers investigating the use of psychedelic therapy for medical treatment, stating that psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs have shown promising results when used to treat mood, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and substance use disorders. A Johns Hopkins study found that psilocybin-assisted therapy can relieve major depressive disorder symptoms in some adults for at least a year.

HB25-1070 is a bipartisan bill that would allow minors to receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) from trained providers only if less invasive treatments have failed, two psychiatrists approve the treatment (one of whom must be trained in child and adolescent health), and the minor’s parent/guardian consents. 

Numerous case studies and extensive literature reviews demonstrate that ECT is effective and safe in both typically-developing youth and youth with developmental disabilities, including those under 16 years of age, and can drastically improve the quality of life for those with certain severe mental health disorders. 

All three bills now move to the Senate floor for further consideration. Track their progress: HB25-1016, HB25-1063, HB25-1070.