Revision: April 9, 2019, 3:13 p.m.
SB 291-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
03/14/2019 0832s
2019 SESSION
19-0955
05/01
SENATE BILL 291-FN
AN ACT relative to the construction of new mental health facilities.
SPONSORS: Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Gray, Dist 6; Sen. Morse, Dist 22; Rep. Danielson, Hills. 7; Rep. Hennessey, Graf. 1; Rep. Hinch, Hills. 21
COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill directs the department of health and human services to develop and implement plans to establish a new forensic psychiatric hospital, additional transitional beds for forensic patients or patients with complex behavioral health conditions, and a new acute inpatient psychiatric treatment facility for children.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/14/2019 0832s 19-0955
05/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT relative to the construction of new mental health facilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Department of Health and Human Services; Construction of New Mental Health Facilities.
I. The commissioner of the department of health and human services, in consultation and in collaboration with the attorney general, the commissioner of the department of corrections, and the commissioner of the department of administrative services, shall administer the development and implementation of plans for the following:
(a) Establishing a new 60 bed forensic psychiatric hospital; and
(b) Establishing 40 additional transitional beds for forensic patients and or patients with complex behavioral health conditions.
II. The commissioner of the department of health and human services, in consultation and in collaboration with the attorney general, and the commissioner of the department of administrative services, shall administer the development and implementation of plans for the following:
(a) Establishing a new treatment facility for children who are in need of acute inpatient psychiatric treatment; and
(b) Repurposing of the children’s unit at New Hampshire hospital for adult beds upon completion and readiness of the new treatment facility for children established in this paragraph.
III. The plans for establishing a new 60 bed forensic psychiatric hospital and 40 additional transitional beds for forensic patients and or patients with complex behavioral health conditions shall be completed by November 1, 2019, and such facilities shall be operational by June 1, 2021.
IV. The plans for development of a new treatment facility for children who are in need of acute inpatient psychiatric treatment and for repurposing of the children’s unit at New Hampshire hospital for adult beds shall be completed by June 1, 2020, and such facility shall be operational by June 1, 2021.
V. All contracts and projects set forth in paragraphs I and II, and plans and specifications therefor, shall be awarded in accordance with the provisions of RSA 21-I.
VI. In preparation for the operation of the new facilities established pursuant to paragraphs I and II, the commissioner of the department of health and human services, in consultation and collaboration with the attorney general, the commissioner of the department of corrections, and the commissioner of the department of administrative services, shall recommend proposed legislation for any changes to statutes or administrative rules that are deemed necessary for the transition of patients to and the operation of the new facilities. In developing such recommendations, and the plans and deadlines required in paragraphs I through IV, the commissioner of the department of health human services shall solicit input from public and private stakeholders as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate. The commissioner of the department of health human services shall submit the plans required in paragraphs I and II and recommendations required by this paragraph to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of the senate no later than November 1, 2019.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
19-0955
Amended 4/9/19
SB 291-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2019-0832s)
AN ACT relative to the construction of new mental health facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Interminable Increase |
Expenditures | $41 million - $49 million | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ X ] Other - Federal Medicaid funds, private insurance reimbursement | |||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish: a 60-bed forensic psychiatric hospital, 40 transitional housing beds for forensic patients, and a new treatment facility for children in need of acute inpatient psychiatric treatment, while repurposing the children's unit at New Hampshire Hospital for adult beds.
The Department assumes all construction and development costs will be paid for with state general funds; however, it is unable to provide operational costs for each facility without undergoing contract negotiations for facility operations. The Department has provided the following cost estimates associated with the requirements of the bill, resulting in a range of $41 million to $49 million in development and construction costs in FY 2020-21 and a minimum of $33.5 million in annual operational costs once the respective facilities have been completed. Projected costs are as follows:
The Department states the payer breakdown for the existing children's unit is 19 percent private insurance, 46 percent Medicaid, and 35 percent uninsured/uncovered/general funds. It anticipates the repurposed adult beds will result in an indeterminable increase in state revenue, due to the change in population and an increase in the number of people served by the repurposed unit.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services