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

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
Last action: 2026-04-14
Official status: Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on what happens if the Colorado district attorneys' council runs out of funds from previous years before the end of fiscal year 2026-27.

Behavioral Health Support Program Funding Change

This bill changes how funds for a behavioral health program are split between public defenders and prosecutors, directing all the money to public defenders in fiscal year 2026-27.

What This Bill Does

Changes the allocation of funds from the public defender and prosecutor behavioral health support program so that 100% goes to the office of the state public defender for fiscal year 2026-27.

Who It Names or Affects

Public defenders who will receive full funding for behavioral health support programs.
Prosecutors and the Colorado district attorneys' council, as they will not receive any of the program's funds in fiscal year 2026-27.

Terms To Know

Behavioral Health Support Program: A program that provides financial support for mental health and substance abuse services to public defenders and prosecutors.
Fiscal Year: The period of time used for budgeting, accounting, and auditing purposes by the government. In this case, it refers to 2026-27.

Limits and Unknowns

This change is only for fiscal year 2026-27 and will revert back to a different allocation after that.
The bill does not specify what happens if the Colorado district attorneys' council runs out of funds from previous years before the end of fiscal year 2026-27.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-13 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
2026-04-11 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-10 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-09 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-08 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-06 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
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
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0923.01 Owen Hatch x2698 HOUSE BILL 26-1385
House Committees Senate Committees
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
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
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-