Bill > H6073

This bill modifies Rhode Island's family home-visiting program by expanding annual reporting requirements and addressing federal funding challenges. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health to create a more comprehensive annual report due by March 1st, which must now include detailed information about federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program funding, Medicaid fee-for-service billing, program models, funding sources, implementation challenges, and strategies for program sustainability. The bill responds to recent funding issues where Rhode Island was unable to draw down full federal MIECHV grant funds due to not meeting the 25% state match requirement, and addresses a significant decline in enrolled families (37% reduction between 2021-2024). The legislation aims to provide greater transparency about the state's home-visiting programs, which serve expectant mothers and families with newborns, infants, and toddlers, and which currently reach approximately 35% of families with new babies. The bill mandates that the state allocate the minimum amount necessary to maximize federal MIECHV dollars and requires a detailed three-year projection of funding strategies to sustain and potentially expand these voluntary, evidence-based home-visiting services.

Budget and Finance

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