Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate committee backs moving adult, children and substance-use mental health rules into Idaho code
Summary
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee recommended sending Senate Bill 1024 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The bill moves existing administrative rules on children's mental health, adult mental health and substance use disorder services into Idaho statute, with no change to services and an effective date of July 1.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday recommended sending Senate Bill 1024 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The bill would transfer existing administrative rules for children's mental health, adult mental health and substance use disorder services into Idaho code.
Senator Julie Van Orden, R-District 30, told the committee the bill does not change services. "Nothing has been—there's not an increase or decreased services to anyone. It's just taking that part of administrative rule and applying it to the code," she said. The bill moves definitions and eligibility screening requirements for children's mental health into chapter 24, title 16 of Idaho Code, shifts nine sections addressing substance use disorder definitions and certification standards into code, and moves three sections for adult mental health into chapter 31, title 39 of Idaho Code. The bill also repeals the corresponding administrative rules and sets the statutory provisions to take effect July 1.
Van Orden said the change is intended to consolidate rule language into statute so the Legislature can review and amend it through statute instead of through the administrative rule process. "We will have the ability to have our eyes on them and make changes through statute instead of having to go through the rules process to make changes in there," she said.
No members of the public testified on the bill. Senator Camille Blaylock moved to send the bill to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation; Senator Delaney seconded. The committee decided by voice vote to send the bill to the floor.
The committee record shows no changes to service levels, and sponsors said the action is primarily procedural—transferring existing rule text into statute. The bill will next be considered on the Senate floor.
