HOUSE BILL 151

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021

INTRODUCED BY

Karen C. Bash

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH; REQUIRING THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO CONVENE A BRIDGES ACROSS NEW MEXICO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

 

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

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] BRIDGES ACROSS NEW MEXICO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM--CREATION--MEMBERSHIP--DUTIES.--

          A. The human services department shall convene a "bridges across New Mexico behavioral health consortium" that includes bipartisan representation from the house of representatives and the senate from the northern, central and southern regions of the state; representatives from the New Mexico congressional delegation; representatives from the administrative office of the courts; representatives from the business sector from the northern, central and southern regions, which shall include planners and architects, and representatives from organizations whose primary functions are behavioral health, housing and homeless services. The consortium shall function from the date of its appointment until December 1, 2022.

          B. Members of the bridges across New Mexico behavioral health consortium who are not paid with public money are entitled to per diem and mileage as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.

          C. In carrying out its charge, the bridges across New Mexico behavioral health consortium shall:

                (1) review potential construction of residential treatment facilities to help those with substance use disorders and mental health issues;

                (2) assess current youth and adult residential treatment facilities, with a focus on those facilities serving individuals currently in the court system for substance use, behavioral health and homelessness, to determine if the current facilities could be expanded or if new facilities will need to be built;

                (3) review current transitional housing, job development and life skill centers regionally to determine if these centers could be expanded or if new centers will need to be built, which centers house those individuals coming out of incarceration, substance use treatment or homelessness due to reasons other than behavioral health and for families who need safer longer-term housing than a short-term shelter could provide. A focus will be on centers that combine life skills, educational and vocational support to ensure that individuals will be successful and self-sufficient when those individuals reenter community life;

                (4) develop a drug prevention program for first through twelfth grade public school students, which may include volunteers from the community in a speaker series and other age-appropriate programs;

                (5) review current laws regarding driving while intoxicated and compare them to cities and states that have the lowest rates of driving while intoxicated and assess if higher penalties will be needed for driving while intoxicated offenders; and

                (6) discuss availability of regional substance use counseling programs for offenders.

          D. The bridges across New Mexico behavioral health consortium shall hold monthly regional meetings beginning after the effective date of this act to discuss the items outlined in Subsection C of this section. In August 2022, two statewide meetings shall be held in Albuquerque to discuss findings and recommendations from the regional meetings and approve a statewide action plan.

          E. The human services department shall contract and hire a behavioral health policy expert who shall compile the consortium's findings and recommendations into a statewide action plan. The statewide action plan shall also contain

provisions on existing funding in cities and counties, the need for potential funding and ways to receive funding, a determination of the most equitable and effective use of funds and a priority for programs and building projects.

          F. On or before November 1, 2022, the statewide action plan shall be presented or distributed to the interim legislative health and human services committee, the legislative finance committee, the secretary of human services and the secretary of health.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the human services department for expenditure in fiscal year 2023 to contract with a behavioral health policy expert to assist the bridges across New Mexico behavioral health consortium in developing a statewide action plan to present to the human services department and the legislature. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2023 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2021.

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