S.F. No. 3993 Summary

• Commissioner of human services must establish a competitive grant program for medical providers and nonprofits to create urgency rooms serving youth age 25 and under experiencing mental health crises as an alternative to hospital emergency rooms.

• Eligible applicants include existing medical providers, nonprofits providing mental health services, or nonprofits serving underserved or rural communities that partner with medical providers; all must have licensed mental health specialists on staff.

• Grantees must perform medical and mental health evaluations upon admission and accommodate youth stays for up to 72 hours, with grant funding usable for expanding space, building new urgency rooms, evaluations, care planning, and care recommendations.

• Grantees must submit annual reports to the commissioner detailing grant spending, number of youths served, and progress toward program goals; the commissioner must provide annual public reports to legislative human services committees.

• An unspecified amount from the general fund is appropriated in fiscal year 2023 as a onetime appropriation for the grant program.