Senate Bill 24-055 Summary

• Creates the Agricultural and Rural Community Behavioral Health Program within the Behavioral Health Administration with a dedicated staff liaison to coordinate between the BHA, Department of Agriculture, behavioral health providers, and agricultural communities.

• Establishes the Agricultural Behavioral Health Community of Practice Work Group, with at least seven members appointed by September 1, 2024, to convene monthly starting January 1, 2025, and compile best practices, identify gaps, and collect data on behavioral health care for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers; the work group sunsets September 1, 2029.

• Creates the Agricultural Behavioral Health Grant Program to award up to $50,000 annually to organizations that address root causes of behavioral health issues in agriculture and rural communities, prioritizing applicants primarily serving agricultural individuals.

• Requires the Department of Agriculture to contract with a statewide agricultural organization to organize an annual in-person summit by December 2025 for organizations promoting behavioral health care to agricultural communities.

• Appropriates $61,989 to the Department of Agriculture and $145,116 to the Department of Human Services for the 2024-25 fiscal year to implement the program.