2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 25 - Public Health and Environment
Health Care
Article 48 - End-of-Life Options
§ 25-48-108. Confirmation that individual is mentally capable - referral to mental health professional

(1) An attending physician shall not prescribe medical aid-in-dying medication under this article for an individual with a terminal illness until the individual is determined to be mentally capable and making an informed decision, and those determinations are confirmed in accordance with this section.

(2) If the attending physician or the consulting physician believes that the individual may not be mentally capable of making an informed decision, the attending physician or consulting physician shall refer the individual to a licensed mental health professional for a determination of whether the individual is mentally capable and making an informed decision.

(3) A licensed mental health professional who evaluates an individual under this section shall communicate, in writing, to the attending or consulting physician who requested the evaluation, his or her conclusions about whether the individual is mentally capable and making informed decisions. If the licensed mental health professional determines that the individual is not mentally capable of making informed decisions, the person shall not be deemed a qualified individual under this article and the attending physician shall not prescribe medical aid-in-dying medication to the individual.