§ 23-23-103. Evaluations Made – When

1. A child may be referred to the medical center for diagnostic evaluation and study under the following conditions:
   1. A judge who has before him or her the matter of possible certification, commitment, or sentencing of a child to one of the institutions of the state may have an evaluation of the child made at the diagnostic center; or the judge may send a child to the center for an evaluation of the child’s mental and physical capacity if the judge believes such diagnosis will aid in the determination of the matter concerning the child, regardless of the fact that, because of lack of space, none of the regional centers is able to accept the child.
   2. Any judge, for the purpose of determining whether or not a child under sixteen years of age has a behavioral or mental health disorder or an intellectual and developmental disability, may cause the child to be sent to the center for diagnostic evaluation.
   3. The superintendent of any institution in Colorado to which children have been committed or sentenced may request the executive director of the department of human services to have an evaluation of any child in his institution made at the center.
   4. The director of a county department of social services may request an evaluation at the Colorado children’s diagnostic center of a child in the care, custody, or supervision of such county department when such evaluation will aid it in its determination of the disposition, placement, or planning for such child; but no such evaluation shall be requested until such parental consent as is necessary has been obtained. If such an evaluation is made, the costs thereof shall be paid by the said county department of social services.

Source: L. 55: p. 808, § 3. CRS 53: § 124-3-28. L. 61: p. 712, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 124-3-12. L. 65: p. 1034, § 1. L. 75: (1)(b) amended, p. 929, § 37, effective July 14. L. 83: (1)(a) amended, p. 1160, § 16, effective April 26. L. 94: (1)(c) amended, p. 2692, § 224, effective July 1. L. 2006: (1)(b) amended, p. 1404, § 62, effective August 7. L. 2017: (1)(b) amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1320, § 175, effective May 25. L. 2020: (1)(a) amended, (SB 20-136), ch. 70, p. 284, § 12, effective September 14.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending subsection (1)(c), see section 1 of chapter 345, Session Laws of Colorado 1994. For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017. For the legislative declaration in SB 20-136, see section 1 of chapter 70, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.