2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 25 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (§§ 25-1-101 — 25-59-106) › ADMINISTRATION (§§ 25-1-101 — 25-1.5-701) › Article 1.5 - POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (§§ 25-1.5-101 — 25-1.5-701) › Part 1 - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES (§§ 25-1.5-101 — 25-1.5-122) › Section 25-1.5-111 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Suicide prevention commission - created - responsibilities - gifts, grants, or donations - reimbursement for expenses - definition

(1)
The suicide prevention commission, referred to in this section as the "commission", is created for the purpose of:
(a)
Providing public and private leadership for comprehensive suicide prevention, as that term is defined in subsection (7) of this section, in Colorado;
(b)
Setting statewide, data-driven, evidence-based, and clinically informed priorities for comprehensive suicide prevention in Colorado;
(c)
Serving as an advisor to the office of suicide prevention;
(d)
Establishing and leading subgroups to set strategy and implementation plans for each statewide comprehensive suicide prevention priority for the office of suicide prevention;
(e)
Providing a forum for government agencies, community members, business leaders, and lawmakers to examine the current status of comprehensive suicide prevention policies; analyze the system's near-term opportunities and challenges; and make recommendations to the office of suicide prevention, the governor's office, and the general assembly regarding improvements and innovations in policies and programs to reduce the preventable occurrence of suicide in Colorado as well as the after-effects of suicide and suicide attempts in Colorado;
(f)
Expanding local and national partnerships and resources for statewide comprehensive suicide prevention activities;
(g)
Promoting cooperation and coordination among comprehensive suicide prevention programs and strategies across Colorado;
(h)
Evaluating the distribution of state resources for comprehensive suicide prevention;
(i)
Ensuring that comprehensive suicide prevention remains a state priority;
(j)
Encouraging the development of comprehensive suicide prevention plans at the local level;
(k)
Advising on comprehensive education and training on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention for providers and responders;
(l)
Assisting the office of suicide prevention in the department in creating a uniform statewide K-12 suicide postvention component to include in the Colorado suicide prevention plan established pursuant to section
25-1.5-112
; and
(m)
Developing a plan for follow-up care for suicide attempt survivors who were treated in an emergency department.
(2)
(a)
The executive director of the department shall appoint to the commission no more than twenty- two members, including:
(I)
A representative from the office of suicide prevention in the department, which office shall serve as the administrator and coordinator of the commission;
(II)
A representative from the behavioral health administration in the department of human services;
(III)
A representative from law enforcement;
(IV)
A representative from higher education;
(V)
A representative from K-12 education;
(VI)
A representative from an employee assistance program or human resources in the private sector;
(VII)
A representative of the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado or a representative of the suicide prevention nonprofit community;
(VIII)
A licensed mental health professional;
(IX)
Repealed.
(X)
An active member or veteran of the United States military who has been affected by suicide;
(XI)
A representative from the Colorado youth advisory council;
(XII)
A family member of a person who died by suicide;
(XIII)
A person who has attempted suicide, recovered, and is now thriving;
(XIV)
A person representing a philanthropic foundation;
(XV)
A representative of medical providers or first responders;
(XVI)
A representative from a hospital with an on-site emergency department;
(XVII)
A representative of the agricultural and ranching industry from a rural area;
(XVIII)
A representative from the oil and gas industry from a rural area;
(XIX)
A representative of the Colorado business community from a rural area;
(XX)
[Repealed by 2024 Amendment.]
(XXI)
[Repealed by 2024 Amendment.]
(XXII)
A representative of the faith community;
(XXIII)
A representative from the school safety resource center with experience in bullying, including cyberbullying; and
(XXIV)
A representative from the department of health care policy and financing.
(b)
When appointing the commission members, the executive director of the department shall ensure that persons of various racial and ethnic backgrounds and identities are represented and that the regions of the state with high suicide rates, including rural areas, are represented and that the commission includes members with familiarity with, knowledge of, and leadership of groups associated with high suicide rates and suicide attempts, including: Persons with disabilities; working-age men; senior adults; veterans and active-duty military personnel; lesbian, gay, bisexual, nonbinary, two-spirit, and transgender youth and adults; and Coloradans of disproportionately affected diversities and gender expressions.
(c)
Members of the commission may seek reimbursement for travel expenses to and from meetings of the commission.
(d)
The executive director shall appoint one commission member who represents the public sector and one commission member who represents the private sector to serve as co-chairs of the commission.
(3)
The department shall provide to the commission support that includes the coordination of all commission activities, including: Meeting logistics, agenda development, and follow-up; organizing and orienting commission members; working closely with the co-chairpersons to set priorities, recruit members, oversee all commission initiatives, coordinate activities, and implement any commission-directed initiatives; and any other duties assigned by the co-chairpersons. The commissioner of the behavioral health administration in the department of human services, a representative from the university of Colorado depression center, and a representative of the suicide prevention coalition of Colorado may also provide support to the commission.
(4)
The office of suicide prevention shall include the recommendations of the commission in the report submitted annually to the general assembly pursuant to section
25-1.5-101
and shall present the recommendations as part of its annual presentation to the general assembly pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" as enacted by House Bill 10-1119 in 2010.
(5)
The department may accept gifts, grants, and donations from public and private sources for the direct and indirect costs associated with the implementation and duties associated with the commission. The department shall transmit any gifts, grants, and donations it receives to the state treasurer, who shall credit the moneys to the suicide prevention coordination cash fund created in section
25-1.5-101 (1)(w)(II)
. The fund also consists of any moneys appropriated or transferred to the fund by the general assembly for the purposes of this section. The moneys in the fund are subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly.
(6)
(a)
This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2034.
(b)
Prior to the repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the commission pursuant to section
2-3-1203
, C.R.S.
(7)
As used in this section, the term "comprehensive suicide prevention" or "suicide prevention" includes the following components:
(a)
Strategies or approaches that seek to prevent the onset of suicidal despair, commonly known as "suicide prevention";
(b)
Public health intervention supports, including community training, workforce development, quality improvement and provision of technical assistance to support the adoption of best suicide attempt behavior intervention and postvention practices and policies; and
(c)
Postvention responses to and support for individuals and communities affected by the aftermath of a suicide attempt.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 315,§ 2, eff. 8/7/2024, app. to appointments to the suicide prevention commission made on or after the applicable effective date.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 251,§ 4, eff. 5/24/2023.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 222, § 54, eff. 7/1/2022.
Amended by 2021 Ch. 49, § 5, eff. 9/7/2021.
Amended by 2018 Ch. 123, § 3, eff. 9/1/2018.
Added by 2014 Ch. 279, § 2, eff. 5/29/2014.
L. 2014: Entire section added, (SB 14-088), ch. 1130, p. 1130, § 2, effective May 29. L. 2018: (2)(a)(IX) repealed, (SB 18-161), ch. 830, p. 830, § 3, effective September 1. L. 2021: (1) and IP(2)(a) amended and (7) added, (HB 21 -1119), ch. 209, p. 209, § 5, effective September 7.
2024 Ch. 315, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
2021 Ch. 49, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.
(1) For the legislative declaration in SB 14-088, see section 1 of chapter 279, Session Laws of Colorado 2014. For the legislative declaration in HB 21-1119, see section 1 of chapter 49, Session Laws of Colorado 2021. (2) For the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act", see part 2 of article 7 of title 2 .