Bill > H4879

This bill: - Expands the role of the Behavioral Health Promotion Advisory Council to facilitate the development of interagency initiatives, advance health equity and trauma-informed care, and address social determinants of health. It also requires the Council to collect and analyze data on population-based indicators of behavioral health. - Establishes an online portal to improve coordination of services for children and adolescents awaiting behavioral health services, including tracking data on boarding, residential disposition, and availability of behavioral health beds. - Creates an interagency review team to collaborate on complex cases involving individuals under 22 with disabilities or special needs, allowing the team to order expedited eligibility determinations and make determinations about service needs and placements. - Designates 988 crisis hotline centers to provide crisis intervention services and coordinate access to crisis services, and establishes a state 988 commission to provide strategic oversight. - Requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to develop a statewide program to assist school districts in implementing behavioral health services and supports, including consultation, coaching and technical assistance. - Expands the role of the State 911 Commission to include oversight of mobile behavioral health crisis response services. - Requires acute care hospitals and satellite emergency facilities to ensure nondiscriminatory policies and procedures for patients presenting with mental health or substance use conditions. - Enhances mental health parity requirements, including expanded reporting by carriers on compliance with federal and state mental health parity laws. - Requires Medicaid to cover certain community-based behavioral health services and annual mental health wellness examinations. - Makes various other changes to expand access to and improve the quality of behavioral health services.

House Committee on Ways and Means (H)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4879