HB 6456 Summary

• Establishes a state office of recipient rights subordinate only to the department director to protect mental health service recipients' rights across all state and contracted providers.

• Creates a state recipient rights advisory committee with at least one-third members being primary consumers or family members to advise on recipient rights matters and oversee the state office operations.

• Requires the state office to investigate rights violations, maintain complaint records, conduct annual reviews of providers, and issue annual reports to the legislature on rights protection status and compliance trends.

• Implements a multi-level appeals process allowing recipients to appeal investigation findings to local appeals committees and then to a state appeals committee, with provisions for mediation as a final resolution option.

• Repeals previous sections on recipient rights offices at community mental health services programs and licensed hospitals, consolidating oversight authority in the new state office of recipient rights.