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Senate committee backs moving mental-health and substance-use rule provisions into Idaho code
Summary
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send RS31829 to print, a proposal to move existing Department of Health and Welfare rule provisions for children's mental health, adult mental health and substance use disorder services into statutory text without changing services.
The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on a voice vote approved sending RS31829 to print, a legislative proposal that would transfer three sets of Department of Health and Welfare administrative rules on mental health and substance use services into Idaho statute.
Senator Julie Van Orden, R-District 30, who presented RS31829, told the committee, “This bill before you or this RS at this time would move those 3 rule sets, into Idaho code. It doesn't increase or decrease services to anybody.” The RS covers children's mental health services (noted as located in Idaho Code chapter 16, chapter 24 in the presentation), adult mental health services, and substance use disorder services.
The RS would relocate definitions, eligibility and screening requirements and, in the case of substance use disorder services, certification standards from the administrative rule chapters into statute. The draft would also repeal the three existing rule chapters effective July 1, the same day the statutory provisions would take effect, according to Van Orden.
Committee procedure: Senator Blaylock moved to send the RS to print and Senator Lehi seconded. After no discussion, the motion carried on a voice vote.
Why it matters: Committee members were told the measure does not change service levels but shifts regulatory detail from the administrative-rule process into statute, which would make the provisions subject to legislative amendment rather than administrative rulemaking.
What’s next: Sending an RS to print is the committee step that allows introduction and scheduling of a full hearing. No further substantive debate or amendments were recorded during this meeting.
