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HB26-1385 • 2026

Public Defender & Prosecutor Behavioral Health Program

Joint Budget Committee. For state fiscal year 2026-27, the public defender and prosecutor behavioral health support program allocation split is altered to direct 100% of the program's funds to the off

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. K. Wallace
Last action
2026-04-16
Official status
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Defender & Prosecutor Behavioral Health Program

Joint Budget Committee.

What This Bill Does

  • Joint Budget Committee.
  • For state fiscal year 2026-27, the public defender and prosecutor behavioral health support program allocation split is altered to direct 100% of the program's funds to the office of the state public defender.
  • (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-16 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  2. 2026-04-15 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  3. 2026-04-14 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  4. 2026-04-13 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations

  5. 2026-04-11 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-04-10 House

    House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  7. 2026-04-09 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  8. 2026-04-08 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  9. 2026-04-06 House

    House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  10. 2026-04-02 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Joint Budget Committee.
For state fiscal year 2026-27, the public defender and prosecutor behavioral health support program allocation split is altered to direct 100% of the program's funds to the office of the state public defender.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0923.01 Owen Hatch x2698 HOUSE BILL 26-1385
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING DIRECTING ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FUNDING FOR101
THE PUBLIC DEFENDER AND PROSECUTOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH102
SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR 2026-27 TO THE103
OFFICE OF THE STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER.104
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill w ill be av ailable at
http://leg.colorado.gov/.)
Joint Budget Committee. For state fiscal year 2026-27, the public
defender and prosecutor behavioral health support program allocation
split is altered to direct 100% of the program's funds to the office of the
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 16, 2026
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 15, 2026
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Sirota, Taggart,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Bridges, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Wallace
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
state public defender.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds and declares that:3
(a) The Colorado district attorneys' council has sufficient unspent4
funds available from prior appropriations to administer the behavioral5
health support grant program in state fiscal year 2026-27; and6
(b) It is therefore reasonable not to direct additional funds to the7
Colorado district attorneys' council for this purpose for the 2026-27 fiscal8
year.9
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-32-3502, add10
(1)(c) as follows:11
24-32-3502. Public defender and prosecutor behavioral health12
support program - policies - report - fund - repeal.13
(1) (c) (I) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION (1)(b) OF THIS SECTION,14
FOR THE 2026-27 STATE FISCAL YEAR THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALLOCATE15
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE MONEY APPROPRIATED FOR THE PROGRAM16
AND ANY GIFTS, GRANTS, OR DONATIONS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT17
FOR THE PROGRAM TO THE OFFICE OF THE STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER.18
(II) THIS SUBSECTION (1)(c) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE DECEMBER19
31, 2027.20
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,21
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate22
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for23
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state24
institutions.25
1385-2-