SENATE BILL 169

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald Ortiz y Pino

AN ACT

RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH; PROVIDING FOR A STATEWIDE RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE APPRENTICESHIPS THROUGH NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY TO SERVE MEDICALLY INDIGENT POPULATIONS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECT--NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY--BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE APPRENTICESHIPS.--

          A. By October 1, 2016, the board of regents of New Mexico highlands university shall establish a statewide research and demonstration project to provide behavioral health services to medically indigent individuals through behavioral health service apprenticeships.

          B. The board of regents of New Mexico highlands university shall contract with a behavioral health association experienced in behavioral health workforce development to offer statewide behavioral health service apprenticeships to individuals from diverse populations that are representative of the state's culture and linguistic diversity and that are under-represented in the behavioral health workforce.

          C. Representatives of New Mexico highlands university and the contractor hired pursuant to Subsection B of this section shall report the findings and recommendations for continuation and expansion of the behavioral health service apprenticeship program by November 1, 2017 to the legislative health and human services committee.

          D. As used in this section, "medically indigent individual" means an individual who has a household income below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level and who is not covered by medicaid, medicare or other third party health care coverage.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of New Mexico highlands university for expenditure in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 to fund the administration and implementation of and the reporting required pursuant to the behavioral health service apprenticeship research and demonstration project established under Section 1 of this act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2018 shall revert to the general fund.

- 3 -