SENATE MEMORIAL 39

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Howie Morales

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SUPPORT THE FEDERAL EXCELLENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH ACT.

     WHEREAS, the federal Excellence in Mental Health Act would increase access to community behavioral health services for all Americans and improve medicaid reimbursement for community behavioral health services; and

     WHEREAS, the Excellence in Mental Health Act would create criteria for federally qualified community behavioral health centers, as entities designed to serve individuals with serious mental illnesses and addiction disorders, that provide intensive, person-centered, multidisciplinary, evidence-based screening, assessment, diagnostics, treatment, prevention and wellness services; and

     WHEREAS, community behavioral health centers are currently excluded from the minimum reimbursement privileges medicaid makes available to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, and the Excellence in Mental Health Act would extend these privileges to federally qualified community behavioral health centers; and

     WHEREAS, the Excellence in Mental Health Act would create a state-administered loan fund to support the modernization and construction of community-based mental health and addiction treatment facilities; and

     WHEREAS, the Excellence in Mental Health Act would extend eligibility for discounted pharmaceutical products to federally qualified community behavioral health centers; and

     WHEREAS, the Excellence in Mental Health Act would elevate behavioral health to be on par with the rest of health care, giving community behavioral health centers the opportunity to continue to provide services to New Mexico residents in need of quality behavioral health services; and

     WHEREAS, the Excellence in Mental Health Act was introduced in the United States senate during the second session of the one hundred eleventh congress; and

     WHEREAS, the one hundred eleventh congress ended January 3, 2011, before the Excellence in Mental Health Act had a chance to be voted on by the congress; and

     WHEREAS, to be voted on by the congress and passed into law, the Excellence in Mental Health Act must be reintroduced in the one hundred twelfth United States congress;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the congressional delegation be requested to do everything it can to have the Excellence in Mental Health Act reintroduced during the one hundred twelfth congress; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the congressional delegation be requested to support the Excellence in Mental Health Act should it be introduced in the one hundred twelfth congress; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the congressional delegation and the New Mexico legislature.

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