SB 23-158

Abstract

Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill continues the Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice (commission) until September 1, 2028 2024 . The bill amends the legislative findings and declaration for the commission. The bill amends the commission membership as follows: Replaces the executive director of the department of human services, or the executive director's designee, with the commissioner of the behavioral health administration, or the commissioner's designee; Replaces the executive director of the department of higher education, or the executive director's designee, with a representative of higher education with expertise in criminal justice; Eliminates an expert in juvenile justice issues; Adds a second criminal defense attorney, and requires that one must be from a rural judicial district; Severs one existing position for a community corrections provider, community corrections board member, or a behavioral, mental health, or substance use disorder treatment provider into 2 positions: One for a behavioral, mental health, or substance use disorder treatment provider and one who represents a community corrections provider or a community corrections board; and Eliminates the 2 at-large members and substitutes one member who works with a community-based reentry program. The bill amends the commission's mission and duties. The bill requires the division of criminal justice (division) to provide a translator to provide oral translation in the Spanish language for every meeting and written translation into Spanish of every publicly available document. The division is required, upon request, to provide a translator to provide oral translation or written translation of a publicly available document in a requested language. The bill requires the commission to provide the opportunity for all members or interested persons to provide topics for study to be submitted to the governor. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)