Committee lays over cleanup of obsolete 'community mental health center' references to modern behavioral‑health terms

Shelby Ross of the Office of Legislative Legal Services presented a draft to update obsolete references that remain in statute after the 2021‑22 reorganization of behavioral‑health licensing. Ross said House Bill 22‑1278 moved licensing and definitions and that some earlier references to “community mental health centers” and “community mental health clinics” remain in statute without matching the Behavioral Health Administration’s current framework.

Ross and the Behavioral Health Administration representative, Erica Gannett, explained the current structure: the state now refers to licensed behavioral health entities (BHEs) and safety‑net providers classified as either comprehensive or essential providers. Gannett said the older terms are “fully obsolete” and the draft substitutes references to the list of services now located in Section 27‑53‑01 (safety‑net services) rather than the old definition location.

Committee members asked whether the substitutions would drive practice change or simply reflect current licensing practice; Gannett said the changes conform to current practice and that the proposed cross‑references point to the existing list of safety‑net services. Members had follow‑up drafting questions and the committee decided to lay the bill over to allow additional departmental review and to avoid introducing piecemeal changes. Witness testimony was left open and the committee will reconvene on the draft at a later meeting.