Committee forwards RS 31829 to print to move three Health & Welfare rule sets into statute

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send RS 31829 to print after a presentation from Senator Julie Van Orden. The proposal would transfer three existing rule sets from administrative rules into Idaho statute without changing services.

Senator Julie Van Orden, identifying herself as representing District 30, told the committee the RS would move the Department of Health and Welfare’s rules for children’s mental health services, adult mental health services and substance use disorder services into Idaho code. “It doesn't increase or decrease services to anybody,” she said, explaining that the change would place the existing program regulations in statute so “the legislature would be able to address them, in Idaho code instead of going in through the administrative rule process.”

Van Orden described the contents at a high level: the RS would move definitions and eligibility screening requirements for children’s mental health services (citing Idaho code chapter 16, chapter 24 in the presentation), certification standards and eligibility screening for substance use disorder services, and definitions and screening eligibility for adult mental health services. The RS also would repeal the three existing rule sets effective July 1, the same day the statutory provisions would take effect.

Motion and vote: Senator Blaylock moved to send RS 31829 to print; Senator Lehi seconded. The committee carried the motion on a voice vote.

The bill’s sponsor said the measure is intended to shift oversight of those program rules from the administrative rule process into statute; no program expansions or contractions were described during the committee discussion.