Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 36 (2021GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Ward, R.

Final action

House/ filed 3/5/2021

Outcome

Failed / filed without passage

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• removes the sunset date from provisions requiring the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health within the Department of Human Services to award a grant for a telehealth mental health pilot program and provisions describing the program as a pilot program; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

TELEHEALTH MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward
Senate Sponsor: 
Evan J. Vickers
LONG TITLE
Committee Note:
The Health and Human Services Interim Committee recommended this bill.
Legislative Vote: 15 voting for 0 voting against 2 absent
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions relating to a program for providing telehealth mental
health services.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ removes the sunset date from provisions requiring the Division of Substance Abuse
and Mental Health within the Department of Human Services to award a grant for a
telehealth mental health pilot program and provisions describing the program as a
pilot program; and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
62A-15-114
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 74
63I-1-262
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapters 154, 303, 304, and 358
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
62A-15-114
 is amended to read:
62A-15-114.
Telehealth Mental Health Grant Program.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Grant" means a grant awarded by the division under this section to a person to
develop and implement a project.
(b) "Project" means a telehealth mental health [
pilot
] project for which the division
awards a grant 
under this section
.
(c) "Public school" means:
(i) a school district;
(ii) a school under the control of a school district;
(iii) a charter school; or
(iv) the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
(d) "Telehealth mental health services" means mental health services provided
remotely through the use of telecommunications technology.
(e) "Utah State Hospital" means the Utah State Hospital established in Section
62A-15-601
.
(2) (a) [
On or before July 1, 2018, the
] 
The
 division shall issue a project proposal
request in accordance with this section to award a grant to:
(i) one or more local authorities to develop and implement one or more projects in one
or more public schools in the state; or
(ii) the Utah State Hospital 
to develop and implement one or more projects in the state
.
(b) An application for a project described in Subsection (2)(a) shall be submitted
jointly by:
(i) a public school or the Utah State Hospital; and
(ii) a provider of telehealth mental health services.
[
(c) The division shall award all grants under this section before December 31, 2018.
]
[
(d) A project shall run for two years.
]
[
(3) The purpose of the telehealth mental health pilot program is to:
]
[
(a) determine how telehealth mental health services can best be used in the state to:
]
[
(i) increase access to mental health services by public school students;
]
[
(ii) increase the timeliness and effectiveness of mental health crisis intervention
services for public school students;
]
[
(iii) reduce the cost associated with providing mental health services to public school
students; and
]
[
(iv) increase access to mental health services by public school students in underserved
areas of the state;
]
[
(b) identify best practices for providing telehealth mental health services to public
school students in the state; and
]
[
(c) identify the best methods of using telecommunications technology to provide
mental health services to public school students remotely.
]
[
(4)
] 
(3)
 Persons who apply for a grant under this section shall:
(a) identify the population to which the proposed project will provide telehealth mental
health services;
(b) explain how the population described in Subsection [
(4)
] 
(3)
(a):
(i) is currently underserved; and
(ii) will benefit from the provision of telehealth mental health services;
(c) provide details regarding:
(i) how the proposed project will provide the telehealth mental health services;
(ii) the projected costs of providing the telehealth mental health services;
(iii) the sustainability of the proposed project; and
(iv) the methods that the proposed project will use to:
(A) protect the privacy of students and patients;
(B) collect nonidentifying data relating to the proposed project; and
(C) provide transparency on the costs and operation of the proposed project; and
(d) provide other information requested by the division to ensure that the proposed
project satisfies the criteria described in Subsection [
(5)
] 
(4)
.
[
(5)
] 
(4)
 In evaluating a proposal for a grant, the division shall consider:
[
(a) the extent to which the proposed project will fulfill the purposes described in
Subsection (3);
]
[
(b)
] 
(a)
 the extent to which the population that will be served by the proposed project
is:
(i) currently underserved; and
(ii) likely to benefit from the proposed project;
[
(c)
] 
(b)
 the cost of the proposed project;
[
(d)
] 
(c)
 the viability and innovation of the proposed project; and
[
(e)
] 
(d)
 the extent to which the proposed project will yield useful data to evaluate the
effectiveness of the proposed project.
[
(6)
] 
(5)
 (a) Within six months after the day on which the division awards a grant, the
division shall report to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee regarding:
(i) each person who received a grant; and
(ii) the details of each project.
(b) Within six months after the day on which a project concludes, the division shall
report to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee regarding:
(i) the success of each project;
(ii) data gathered in relation to each project;
(iii) knowledge gained from each project relating to the provision of telehealth mental
health services;
(iv) proposals for the future use of telehealth mental health services in the state;
(v) obstacles encountered in the provision of telehealth mental health services; and
(vi) changes needed in the law to overcome obstacles to providing telehealth mental
health services.
Section 2. Section 
63I-1-262
 is amended to read:
63I-1-262.
Repeal dates, Title 62A.
(1) Subsections 
62A-1-120
(8)(g), (h), and (i) relating to completion of premarital
counseling or education under Section 
30-1-34
 are repealed July 1, 2023.
(2) Section 
62A-3-209
 is repealed July 1, 2023.
(3) Section 
62A-4a-202.9
 is repealed December 31, 2021.
(4) Section 
62A-4a-213
 is repealed July 1, 2024.
(5) Sections 
62A-5a-101
, 
62A-5a-102
, 
62A-5a-103
, and 
62A-5a-104
, which create the
Coordinating Council for Persons with Disabilities, are repealed July 1, 2022.
[
(6) Section 
62A-15-114
 is repealed December 31, 2021.
]
[
(7)
] 
(6)
 Subsections 
62A-15-116
(1) and [
(4)
] 
(5)
, the language that states "In
consultation with the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission, established in Section
63C-18-202
," is repealed January 1, 2023.
[
(8)
] 
(7)
 Section 
62A-15-118
 is repealed December 31, 2023.
[
(9)
] 
(8)
 Subsections 
62A-15-605
(3)(h) and (4) relating to the study of long-term needs
for adult beds in the state hospital are repealed July 1, 2022.
[
(10)
] 
(9)
 Section 
62A-15-605
, which creates the Forensic Mental Health Coordinating
Council, is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(11)
] 
(10)
 Subsections 
62A-15-1100
(1) and 
62A-15-1101
(9), in relation to the Utah
Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council, are repealed January 1, 2023.
[
(12)
] 
(11)
 In relation to the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Commission, on July
1, 2023:
(a) Subsections 
62A-15-1301
(2) and 
62A-15-1401
(1) are repealed;
(b) Subsection 
62A-15-1302
(1)(b), the language that states "and in consultation with
the commission" is repealed;
(c) [
Section
] 
Subsection
62A-15-1303
(1)
, the language that states "In consultation with
the commission," is repealed;
(d) Subsection 
62A-15-1402
(2)(a), the language that states "With recommendations
from the commission," is repealed; and
(e) Subsection 
62A-15-1702
(6) is repealed.