Relating to mental health and disability services regions, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions

This bill relates to mental health and disability services (MH/DS) regions and funding, and provides effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. MENTAL HEALTH AND DISABILITY SERVICES —— FUNDING. The bill removes the cash flow reduction amount that requires MH/DS regions to spend down reserve cash deposits to percent of the region’s annual budget.424A(6) establishes the amount certified for levy by the county each fiscal year to raise funds for MH/DS under the MH/DS regional system. Revenues from taxes imposed by the county credited to the county mental health and disability services fund shall not exceed an amount equal to the county budgeted amount, which is the amount necessary to meet the county’s financial obligations for the payment of services provided under the regional service system management plan, not to exceed an amount equal to the product of the regional per capita expenditure target amount multiplied by the county’s population, and, for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2023, reduced by the amount of the county’s cash flow reduction amount. The bill allows a county to recertify the county’s FY 2021-2022 budget if the bill takes effect after March 15, 2021. A budget recertified pursuant to the bill must be recertified in duplicate to the county auditor not later than days after the effective date of the bill, and protests to the budget shall be filed not later than days after the county’s budget is recertified. The bill allows a MH/DS region to amend the region’s previously approved regional service system management plan or annual service and budget plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, or for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021. MENTAL HEALTH AND DISABILITY SERVICES REGIONS —— CORE SERVICES. The bill provides that the department of human services shall amend its administrative rules to provide that MH/DS regions shall implement the following intensive mental health core services for eligible persons on or before July 1, 2023, provided that federal matching funds are available under the Iowa health and wellness plan under Code chapter 249N: access centers; assertive community treatment; crisis stabilization community-based services; crisis stabilization residential services; intensive residential service homes; mobile response; subacute mental health services provided in facility and community-based settings; and 23-hour crisis observation and holding. The bill provides that the department of human services shall amend its administrative rules to provide that MH/DS regions shall implement the following children’s behavioral health core services for eligible children on or before July 1, 2023, and meet applicable access standards on or before July 1, 2023: assessment and evaluation relating to eligibility for services; behavioral health outpatient therapy; education services; medication prescribing and management; prevention; behavioral health inpatient treatment; crisis stabilization community-based services; crisis stabilization residential services; early identification; early intervention; and mobile response. The bill takes effect upon enactment.