Bills Related to Mental Health Services and Funding in Montana:

As of May 25, 2007
2007 Special Session
House Bill 2--General appropriations act
Status: Transmitted to Governor for Signature
Budget Items of Interest to Adult Mental Health
Budget Item
FY2008 General Funds
FY2008 Other Funds
FY2009 General Funds
FY2009 Other Funds
Total Biennium Funding
Restrictions and Notes







































































































































HB4--Long-range building bill
Status: Transmitted to Governor for Signature
Budget Items of Interest to Adult Mental Health
Budget Item
FY2008 General Funds
FY2008 Other Funds
FY2009 General Funds
FY2009 Other Funds
Total Biennium Funding
Restrictions and Notes




























DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
All of these are Long-Range Building Program (LRBP) Funds
3 Receiv. Hospital Renovat.,
4 MT State Hospital, Warm Springs 5,800,000 5,800,000
5 Renovate/Improve Support Services, MT State Hospital 4,500,000 4,500,000
6 MT Mental Health Nursing Care Center Improvements,
7 Lewistown 750,000 750,000
9 Improve Campus, MT State Hospital, Warm Springs 1,280,000 1,280,000


As of April 24, 2007
2007 Regular Session
HB 820 LC2196 Janna Taylor (S) Returned to House with Amendments 04/16/2007 Biennial funding for certain executive branch agencies

Several items of interest in HB820 relating to mental health:
Budget Item
FY2008 General Fund
FY2008 Other Funds
FY2009 General Funds
FY2009 Other Funds
Total Biennium Funding
Restrictions and Notes
Governor's Office--Mental Disabilities Board of Visitors
352,452
0
354,074
0
706,526

AMDD Operations Budget--Overall
51,366,876 54,551,224
52,864,079 56,322,474
215,104,653
 
Addictive/Mental Disorders Administration/Reporting
477,886
681,830
484,739
684,957
2,329,412

Direct Care Worker Wage Increase (Restricted)
224,964
491,711
225,681
490,994
1,433,350
Funds in Direct Care Worker Wage Increase may be used only to raise direct care worker wages and related benefits through an increase in provider rates. Funds in Direct Care Worker Wage Increase may not be used to offset any other wage increase mandated by any other laws, contracts, or written agreements, which will go into effect at the same time as or after implementation of the appropriation included in Direct Care Worker Wage Increase. Funds in Direct Care Worker Wage Increase must be used first to raise the lowest paid direct care workers to $8.50 an hour and to raise related benefits, and the remaining balance may be used only to raise wages and related benefits of all direct care workers. The department shall provide documentation that these funds are used solely for direct care worker wage and related benefits increases. The documentation must include initial wage rates, wage rates after the rate increases have been applied, and wage rates every 6 months after the rate increases have been granted. Addictive/Mental Disorders Administration/Reporting includes funding for a semiannual report for the legislative finance committee and the children, families, health, and human services interim committee summarizing direct care wage rates.
Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility (Restricted)
0
0
3,000,000
3,263,417
6,263,417
Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility may be used only to develop one or more behavioral health inpatient facilities as defined in 53-21-102(2). Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility may be used to pay for services and may not be used for construction of buildings. Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility is contingent upon passage and approval of Senate Bill No. 45.
Mental Health Drop-In Centers (Restricted)
500,000
0
500,000
0
1,000,000
Funds in Mental Health Drop-In Centers may be used only to support community drop-in centers for persons with a mental illness and to provide training for up to 60 consumers each fiscal year to perform peer specialist duties. Drop-in centers with staff who can assist persons with medication management must receive priority in consideration for funding.
Suicide Prevention (Restricted)
400,000
0
400,000
0
800,000
Funds in Suicide Prevention may be used only to implement a comprehensive suicide prevention program, which at a minimum includes a suicide prevention officer, a comprehensive suicide reduction plan, and a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline.
Services for Mentally Ill Offenders (Restricted)
500,000
0
500,000
0
1,000,000
Funding in Services for Mentally Ill Offenders may be used for two purposes only:
(1) services for adults under the supervision of the community corrections division in the department of corrections; and
(2) training for community probation and parole officers.
The services may include case management, treatment, transition support, and medication monitoring. Funding may be used to provide training to community probation and parole officers about mental illness and chemical dependency and about how to assist offenders to enroll in public benefit programs, if appropriate.
Expand Mental Health Services Plan (Restricted)
3,500,000
0
3,500,000
0
7,000,000
Funds in Expand Mental Health Services Plan may be used only TO IMPLEMENT 53-21-702(2).
MCA 53-21-702(2):The department may establish resource and income standards of eligibility for mental health services that are more liberal than the resource and income standards of eligibility for physical health services. The standards of eligibility for mental health services may provide for eligibility for households not eligible for medicaid with family income that does not exceed 160% of the federal poverty threshold or that does not exceed a lesser amount determined at the discretion of the department. The department may by rule specify under what circumstances deductions for medical expenses should be used to reduce countable family income in determining eligibility. The department may also adopt rules establishing fees, premiums, or copayments to be charged recipients for services. The fees, premiums, or copayments may vary according to family income.
Provider Rate Increase (Restricted)
287,953
1,058,075
915,500
1,901,526
4,163,054
Funds in Provider Rate Increase may be used only to raise provider rates
Mentally Ill Offender Drugs (Restricted/Biennial)
950,000
0
0
0
950,000
Funding in Mentally Ill Offender Drugs may be used only to provide a prescription benefit for offenders leaving secure care who meet the criteria for serious mental illness and who have not been enrolled in public benefit programs. Benefits may include a 60-day supply of medications and other short-term medication purchases for offenders who become unstable and need medications and who are not eligible for other public prescription drug programs.
72-Hour Crisis Eligibility (Restricted)
1,861,245
171,525
1,860,334
172,436
4,065,540
72-Hour Crisis Eligibility may be used only to develop community mental health crisis services and for provision of psychiatric consulting services for community providers who manage and administer community mental health crisis services.
Methamphetamine Treatment (Restricted)
2,000,000
0
2,000,000
0
4,000,000
Methamphetamine Treatment may be used only to develop community treatment.  PARENTS WITH CHILDREN must be given priority consideration when selecting candidates to participate in the treatment funded by Methamphetamine Treatment.
MHSP Drugs (Biennial)
0
6,305,210
0
0
6,305,210

Community Liaison Officers (Restricted)
0
129,522
0
145,000
274,522
Funding in Community Liaison Officers may be used only for five half-time staff in the addictive and mental disorders division to provide focused reentry support services, including assistance in accessing community services, to persons who are discharged from Montana state hospital. The legislature intends that the positions be filled by individuals who have a primary diagnosis of mental illness and are certified peer specialists. The goal of this service is to reduce readmissions to Montana state hospital at 30- and 60-day intervals, as a result of assisted reintegration to community settings.
Service Area Authority Grants (Restricted)
115,000
0
115,000
0
230,000
Service Area Authority Grants may be used only to provide grants to service area authorities established in 53-21-1006.
HB 830 LC2195 Dave Kasten (S) Hearing
(H) Conference Committee Appointed
04/23/2007 Appropriate money for construction & maintenance of public buildings and systems

Several items of interest in HB830 relating to mental health
All are proposed to be funded through the state's long-range building program account (LRBP).
1.  Receiving Hospital Renovation, MSH                         $5,800,000
2.  Renovate/Improve Support Services, MSH                $4,500,000
3.  Improvements, MMHNCC                                           $750,000
4.  Improve Campus, MSH                                             $1,280,000
Bills Tabled in Committee
SB 149 LC0464 Bill Tash (H) Tabled in Committee 04/18/2007 Revise use of Xanthopoulos building

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT ESTABLISHING A FORENSIC PROGRAM FOR THE EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT OF MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS; PROVIDING FOR A SECURE RESIDENTIAL FORENSIC TREATMENT FACILITY AND PROVIDING STANDARDS FOR THE FACILITY; REVISING THE USE OF THE FORMER FORENSIC UNIT AT WARM SPRINGS; AMENDING SECTIONS 46-14-202, 46-14-221, 46-14-312, 53-1-209, AND 53-21-102, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."
SB 93 LC0569 Gerald Pease (H) Tabled in Apropriations Committee 04/19/2007 Revise and fund service area authorities

This is for additional funding for the SAAs, increasing from $45,000 to $115,000 yearly.  This $115,000 appears to have been added to HB820.  Does this make SB93 redundant?
Bills Passed by Legislature, Needing Governor's Signature
SB 478 LC1253 Dan Weinberg Passed By Legislature--Enrolling and Final Preparation Process
House final vote: 67 to 32
Senate final vote: 49 to 1
04/20/2007 Implement suicide prevention program
SB 382 LC1517 Jesse Laslovich Passed By Legislature--Enrolling and Final Preparation Process
House final vote: 67 to 32
Senate final vote: 48 to 2
04/17/2007 Establish mental health courts

This bill will only allow local jurisdictions to establish mental health courts, but there is no dedicated funding to it.
HB 727 LC2029 Michael Lange Transmitted to Governor 
House final vote: 91-9
Senate final vote: 49-1
04/17/2007 Revise eligibility requirements for certain benefits

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PLAN BY PROVIDING FOR CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETURNING TO WORK; AMENDING SECTION 53-21-702, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Change at 53-21-702(2)(b):  In determining CONTINUING eligibility, the department MAY disregard UP TO the first $1,000 of monthly EARNED income FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE RETURNED TO WORK.
HB 406
LC0682 Edith Clark Passed By Legislature--Enrolling and Final Preparation Process
House final vote: 87 to 13
Senate final vote: 40 to 10
04/18/2007
Montana community health center support
Bills that Became Law
HB 769 LC1003 Bob Lake  Became Law

04/10/2007 Require registration of alternative adolescent programs and rules for regulation

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REQUIRING MANDATORY REGISTRATION AND LICENSURE OF
ALTERNATIVE ADOLESCENT RESIDENTIAL OR OUTDOOR PROGRAMS; ALLOWING FOR PROVISIONAL
LICENSING; PROVIDING FOR BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES AND
MANAGERS AND ALLOWING FOR A WAIVER; DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY
TO ADOPT RULES REGARDING PROGRAM CRITERIA; REQUIRING DEPARTMENT INSPECTION OF THE
PROGRAMS FOR LICENSURE AND EVERY 3 YEARS; ALLOWING INSPECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO
COMPLAINTS; PROVIDING PENALTIES AND NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES; REVISING DEFINITIONS;
ESTABLISHING CRITERIA FOR ENSURING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR PROGRAM
PARTICIPANTS; REQUIRING PROOF OF INSURANCE; AMENDING SECTIONS 37-48-101, 37-48-102, AND
37-48-103, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."
HJ 26 LC2431 Tim Callahan  Became Law
04/12/2007 Study mental health issues in criminal and juvenile justice systems

A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA REQUESTING THAT AN INTERIM COMMITTEE OR STAFF STUDY AND DEVELOP AN
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH IN THE CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS.
SB 124 LC0466 Dan Harrington  Became Law

04/05/2007 Cost for state hospital forensic commitment for court-ordered exam

This bill removes a circular requirement for the Office of Court Administrator (OCA) and the Office of State Public Defender (OSPD) to obtain a general fund appropriation to reimburse Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) for costs of forensic services at Montana State Hospital (MSH) so DPHHS can, in turn, reimburse the general fund. The bill has a net zero impact on the general fund, by eliminating both the OCA and OSPD appropriation to pay the expense as well as the DPHHS reimbursement of those
dollars back to the general fund.
SB 45 LC0442 Dan Weinberg  Became Law

04/03/2007 Revise laws governing inpatient behavioral health facilities
SB 81 LC0441 Trudi Schmidt  Became Law

03/27/2007 Include licensed psychologists as statutory providers