Bill > S2465

Introduced Session

This bill appropriates to the Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation in the Department of Community Affairs $15,000,000 in federal funds allocated to the State from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund" established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act" to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Department of Human Services (DHS), as applicable, to establish a workforce development supports and job retention and advancement services grant program for providing grants to mental health care and behavioral health care providers employed by, or contracted with, the departments. The purpose of the grants are to provide funding and resources allowing mental health care and behavioral health care providers employed by, or contracted with the DCF or the DHS to hire, train, and retain mental health care and behavioral health care workers. The grants are to be allocated, on a rolling basis, to the providers within 45 days of the departments' receipt of a complete qualifying application in accordance with application procedures and requirements prescribed by the DCF and DHS. Not more than 2.5 percent of these funds are to be utilized by the DCF or the DHS, as applicable, for organizational, administrative, and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, services, and materials necessary to administer the activities authorized by the bill. The DCF and the DHS are each to enter into a memorandum of understanding or grant agreement, as applicable, with the division to effectuate the purposes of bill, to establish appropriate administrative costs, and to ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance, including with respect to the "American Rescue Plan Act," Pub.L.117-2. The bill provides that the division will be the State's grant manager for federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds," and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable federal rules and regulations for bill, including, but not limited to, submitting all required reporting and documentation to the United States Department of the Treasury in accordance with federal rules, including with respect to the "American Rescue Plan Act," Pub.L.117-2. As the State's grant manager for federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds," the division will require funds for organizational, administrative, and other work and services, including salaries, services, equipment, and materials necessary to administer oversee the applicable provisions of the bill. The bill stipulates that the division may transfer the uncommitted balance of any funds made available pursuant to the bill for any use authorized under the bill, and provide notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, no less than five calendar days before the date of the transfer, indicating the amount of the transferred funds and the purpose for which the funds are transferred. It is the sponsor's preference that the grant programs established pursuant to the bill to be implemented in a similar fashion, as is practical and appropriate, to those established under P.L.2021, c.144, which established a child care revitalization fund to provide certain supports to licensed child care providers including, but not limited to, funding workforce development supports for providers and their employees.

Committee Categories

Tony Bucco (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 02/05/2024)

Official Document