SB 270 – VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES
02/19/14 0502s
7May2014… 1424h
06/04/14 1971CofC
2014 SESSION
01/05
SENATE BILL 270
AN ACT establishing a commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire.
SPONSORS: Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Rep.?M.?Smith, Straf 6; Rep. Pantelakos, Rock 25
COMMITTEE: Health, Education and Human Services
This bill establishes a commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire. Under this bill, the commission is administratively attached to the department of health and human services. The also bill establishes a fund for depositing moneys from gifts, grants, and donations received for the purposes of the commission. The fund shall be used to defray any administrative costs associated with the commission’s study.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
02/19/14 0502s
7May2014… 1424h
06/04/14 1971CofC
14-2705
01/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen
AN ACT establishing a commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Commission to Study Mental Health Implementation in New Hampshire. Amend RSA 135-C by inserting after section 63-a the following new section:
135-C:63-b Commission to Study Mental Health Implementation in New Hampshire.
I.(a) There is established a commission to study mental health implementation in New?Hampshire. The members of the commission shall be as follows:
(1) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(2) Two members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(3) The chief executive officer of the New Hampshire hospital, or designee.
(4) The commissioner of the department of corrections, or designee.
(5) A public member with a mental illness, appointed by the governor.
(6) The director of the state office of veterans affairs, or designee.
(7) A psychiatrist, appointed by the New Hampshire Psychiatric Society.
(8) A representative of the New Hampshire Community Behavioral Health Association, appointed by the association.
(9) A representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire, appointed by such agency.
(10) A representative of New Futures, appointed by the organization.
(11) A professor of the University of New Hampshire cooperative extension from the behavioral health institute, appointed by the director of the extension.
(12) A representative of the New Hampshire Children’s Behavioral Health Collaborative, appointed by the collaborative.
(13) The director of the New Hampshire office of minority health and refugee affairs, or designee.
(14) A member of the state committee on aging, appointed by the committee members.
(15) The executive director of the New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Association, or designee.
(16) A judge, appointed by the chief justice of the New Hampshire supreme court.
II. The commission shall be an administratively attached agency, under RSA 21-G:10, to the department of health and human services. In addition, the commission shall be subject to the provisions of RSA 126-A:10-a.
III.(a) The commissioner of health and human services shall seek and is authorized to accept public sector and private sector grants, gifts, or donations of any kind to defray any administrative costs of the commission. Such grants, gifts, and donations shall be deposited in the commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire fund, established in subparagraph (b).
(b) There is hereby established a fund to be known as the commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire fund. The fund shall consist of moneys collected under subparagraph (a) The fund shall be managed by the state treasurer, shall be nonlapsing, and shall be continually appropriated to the commissioner for the purposes of this section.
IV.(a) Recognizing the need for an integrated system of mental health care across all ages and all interested parties, the commission’s study shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Reviewing all current reports addressing mental health in New Hampshire.
(2) Reviewing other states reports on the status of mental health in such states.
(3) Assessing the degree to which lack of resources, facilities, and professional personnel are contributing to the growing emergence of mental health issues in New Hampshire’s population.
(4) Assessing to what degree current efforts to address mental illness in New Hampshire serves youths, seniors, veterans, and minority populations.
(b) The commission may solicit information from any person or entity the commission deems relevant to the commission’s objective.
(c) The commission shall make every effort to avoid issues specified in the mental health lawsuit settlement agreement in order to allow the mental health settlement to be implemented without hindrance.
V. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Nine members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
VI. On or before November 1, 2014, the commission shall submit an interim report of its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library. The commission shall provide a final report of its findings and recommendations on or before November 1, 2015. In addition to proposals for legislation, the final report shall also include detailed findings and recommendations relative to the needs of adults who have a mental illness or are in recovery, children with serious emotional disorders, and their families.
2 New Subparagraph; Commission to Study Mental Health Implementation in New Hampshire Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (316) the following new subparagraph:
(317) Moneys deposited in the commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire fund, established under RSA 135-C:63-b, III(b).
3 Repeals. The following are repealed:
I. RSA 135-C:63-b, relative to a commission to study mental health in New Hampshire.
II. RSA 6:12, I(b)(317), relative to the commission to study mental health in New Hampshire fund.
4 Effective Date.
I. Section 3 of this act shall take effect November 1, 2015.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
14-2705 Amended 05/19/14
SB 270 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT establishing a commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2014-1424h), will increase state restricted expenditures and revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2015 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county or local revenue and expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department states the commission to study mental health implementation in New Hampshire would be an administratively attached agency under RSA 21-G:10. The Department would provide administrative support to the commission and the commission would reimburse the Department for the cost of services provided. The Department indicates the commission would be funded by private sector grants, gifts or donations which would be deposited in a nonlapsing, continually appropriated fund managed by the state treasurer. The Department is not able to determine the amount of revenue that will be generated or the amount of administrative cost that will be incurred, but anticipates such cost would be offset by the grants, gifts and donations deposited into the fund.