Bill > HB1129

This bill amends Colorado's reentry planning and programs for adult parolees by adding peer support professional behavioral health services as a key component of offender transition assistance. Specifically, the bill defines peer support professional behavioral health services as interactions between people who share similar experiences of behavioral health conditions, including substance use disorders. The legislation expands the Department of Corrections' existing initiatives to include these peer-based support services, which are designed to help offenders transition more effectively from correctional facilities back into the community. The bill removes the previous time-specific language of "on and after July 1, 2014" and adds a new definition clarifying what constitutes peer support services. Additionally, the bill slightly modifies the definition of recidivism to clarify the three-year period after release during which a return to prison is measured. The act will take effect after the standard 90-day legislative period, with a provision for potential voter approval in the November 2026 election if a referendum petition is filed.

Justice

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1129