Bill > HB936

This bill modifies Montana's behavioral health funding and reporting mechanisms through several key provisions. The bill expands eligible uses of the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Fund to include student loan repayment programs for nurses, licensed practical nurses, and psychiatrists at state health facilities, with a priority for Montana State Hospital employees, and allows for adding licensed beds at the Montana State Hospital. It requires the Department of Public Health and Human Services to submit monthly reports on hospital hiring efforts, detailing job applications, qualified candidates, interviews, and new hires. The bill also establishes a special legislative committee to study the long-term sustainability of House Bill 872's objectives, consisting of legislative members, state agency representatives, and providing opportunities for public input. Additionally, the bill mandates quarterly reporting on comprehensive school and community treatment services for children, including patient-centered health outcome measures and total program costs. The legislation is effective from July 1, 2025, and will terminate on June 30, 2027, and includes a coordination instruction that ties an appropriation for certified community behavioral health centers to the passage of another specific bill.