ME LD791

Beginning January 1, 2026, Department of Health and Human Services must reimburse non-critical access hospitals at the average daily rate for children's residential care facilities for each day a MaineCare-eligible child under 19 awaits placement in residential care

Monthly reporting to the Legislature required starting November 1, 2025, tracking children in emergency rooms longer than 48 hours after no longer needing hospital-level care, including breakdowns by age, prior residential setting, homelessness status, and unavailable services

Department must issue a request for proposals by March 16, 2026 to develop 3 crisis centers for children and adolescents with behavioral health needs, with at least one-third of beds reserved for children with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder

Psychiatric residential treatment facility must be established through vendor agreement by April 1, 2025, or the department must own and operate a facility by July 1, 2026

De-identified data from the federal lawsuit settlement (United States of America v. State of Maine) must be provided to the Legislature within 30 days of submission to the independent reviewer