Bill > HB884

This bill establishes a Montana Behavioral Health Trust Fund to support mental health and substance use services across the state. The bill creates a seven-member board appointed by various state leaders, including representatives from the Department of Public Health and Human Services and state legislative leadership. The fund will be supported by an endowment that generates quarterly interest, with an initial transfer of $65 million into the endowment and $10 million into a special revenue account. The board will have the authority to provide grants for a wide range of behavioral health services, including mental health programs in schools, crisis care services, supportive housing for people transitioning from institutional care or homelessness, and mental health counseling in shelters. The board must develop a state plan, monitor fund expenditures, evaluate service effectiveness, and provide quarterly reports to the legislature. Importantly, the funds are designated to supplement, not replace, existing behavioral health funding, and can be used for both public and nonprofit community-based organizations. The bill aims to create a sustainable, long-term funding mechanism to address behavioral health challenges in Montana, with an immediate effective date upon passage.

Health and Social Services

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1975