Adult Mental Health
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 434 - Arnold - Inpatient/residential subst. use disorder trtmt.; facilities to prepare & record discharge plan. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (H) Enacted, Chapter 808 (effective 7/1/24) | 04/17/24 |
| notes: Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to amend its regulations to require that any facility licensed by the Department to provide inpatient substance use disorder treatment be required to prepare and record a certified discharge plan upon the discharge or withdrawal of any individual from the facility who has received substance use disorder treatment while admitted to such facility. The bill requires such discharge plan to include the provision of funds withheld from the individual's prior payments to the facility to assist the individual in the execution of such discharge plan. The bill requires the regulations to provide that failure by a facility to prepare and record certified discharge plans may result in civil penalties, license suspension, or license revocation. | |||
| HB 499 - Cohen - Medicaid waivers; program rule modifications. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Continued to 2025 in Health and Human Services | 02/06/24 |
| notes: Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to modify the program rules for certain Medicaid waivers to eliminate the requirement that certain visits for individuals enrolled in Family and Individual Support Waivers, Community Living Waivers, Building Independence Waivers, and CCC Plus Waivers be conducted face-to-face. | |||
| HB 515 - Hope - State hospitals; discharge of individuals. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0290) | 04/02/24 |
| notes: Provides that after an individual's treatment team determines that the individual is ready for discharge, the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services has the authority to discharge the individual, with an appropriate plan, after 15 days over the objection of the community services board or guardian. The bill requires the Department to promulgate regulations providing for an expedited discharge process for persons in state hospitals or training centers that are identified as needing intellectual or developmental disability services and to develop and implement a statewide training program for state hospital employees and community services board liaisons designed to improve discharge planning outcomes. | |||
| HB 861 - Hernandez - Weapons; carrying into hospital that provides mental health services. | (H) Committee on Public Safety (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (G) Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 17, 2024 | 04/17/24 |
| notes: Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly possess in or transport into the building of any hospital that provides mental health services or developmental services in the Commonwealth, including an emergency department or other facility rendering emergency medical care, any (i) firearm or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) knife, except a pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches; or (iii) other dangerous weapon, including explosives and stun weapons. The bill also provides that notice of such prohibitions shall be posted conspicuously at the public entrance of any hospital and no person shall be convicted of the offense if such notice is not posted, unless such person had actual notice of the prohibitions. The bill provides that any such firearm, knife, explosive, or weapon shall be subject to seizure by a law-enforcement officer and forfeited to the Commonwealth and specifies exceptions to the prohibition. | |||
| SB 19 - Favola - Recovery residences; death and serious injury reports. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0030) | 03/08/24 |
| notes: Requires the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to promulgate regulations that require recovery residences to report to the Department, in the same manner as licensed facilities and programs, any death that occurs in the recovery residence. | |||
| SB 87 - Favola - Health insurance provider panels; incentives for mental health services. | (H) Committee on Labor and Commerce (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0575) | 04/05/24 |
| notes: Requires a provider panel contract between a carrier and a primary care provider to include provisions that provide incentives or payments to reward a primary care provider for referring patients to mental health services that may be provided on-site, via telehealth on-site, or through an off-site referral. | |||
| SB 178 - Favola - State Inspector General, Office of the; investigations of abuse/neglect at state psychiatric hosp. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Approved by Governor-Chapter 664 (effective 7/1/24) | 04/08/24 |
| notes: Directs the Office of the State Inspector General to (i) develop a plan to fulfill its statutory obligation to fully investigate all complaints it receives alleging abuse, neglect, or inadequate care at a state psychiatric hospital and (ii) submit such plan to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2024. The bill also requires the Office to submit an annual report to the General Assembly on or before December 1 regarding the number of such complaints received and the number of complaints that were fully investigated by the Office. | |||
| SB 179 - Favola - State hospitals; discharge planning. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Finance and Appropriations | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0153) | 03/26/24 |
| notes: Provides that (i) when an individual is to be discharged from a state hospital in 30 days or less after admission, the state hospital shall be responsible for the individual's discharge planning and (ii) when an individual is to be discharged from a state hospital more than 30 days after admission, the appropriate community services board or behavioral health authority shall be responsible for the individual's discharge planning. Under current law, community services boards and behavioral health authorities provide discharge planning for all individuals discharged from state hospitals, regardless of the duration of their stay. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. | |||
| SB 403 - Durant - Behavioral health technicians, etc.; scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Approved by Governor-Chapter 595 (effective 7/1/24) | 04/05/24 |
| notes: Adds behavioral health aides and behavioral health aide trainees to the professions governed by the Board of Counseling. The bill directs the Board of Counseling to adopt regulations governing the behavioral health aide and behavioral health aide trainee profession. | |||