Gun legislation: Claire Levy's bill would enact real-time data transfer of mental-health records
"It's a matter of public safety," Levy says of immediate data transfer. "I was surprised that wasn't happening already."
Levy doesn't want to unfairly stigmatize mental illness in the context of the gun-control debate. And she doesn't think her bill does, since those impacted by it include people directly adjudicated by the courts who have been involuntarily committed.
"There has been a determination that they are a danger to themselves or others," she says.
Clairelevy.org Claire Levy at the Capitol
Thus, the bill doesn't get into questions of therapist-patient privilege or the duty of a mental-health professional to report suspicious comments or behavior of a client that could impact their access to guns.
A CBI spokeswoman says preliminary estimates show the proposal would cost approximately $100,000.
Levy adds, "The law already says you can't get a gun if you have a mental health commitment. This is just making sure the data is there to enforce this provision."
Here's a fact sheet from the Colorado Department of Human Services on the proposed changes.
More from our Politics archive: "Gun bill to require background checks: "Enough is enough," says Rhonda Fields"
Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin. E-mail the author at Sam.Levin@Westword.com.
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