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Utah Senate advances bill shifting mental‑health commitments, allocates beds and waiting‑list funds
Summary
Senate Bill 82, aiming to shift some civil mental‑health commitments to local authorities, allocate 212 state‑hospital beds and create funding for waiting‑list costs, won broad support after county and consumer testimony and was placed on the third‑reading calendar (roll call 28‑0).
Senator Mike Holmgren urged the Utah Senate to adopt Senate Bill 82, describing it as the product of “over 2 years of work and study and compromise” to change how the state handles civil commitments and to shift some authority to local mental‑health providers. Holmgren said the bill “sets aside 212 beds” at the state hospital and would allow local mental‑health authorities to manage commitments and negotiate service prices.
Local governments and providers told the Senate the bill would address an ongoing bottleneck. David Dangerfield, representing the state’s 11 community mental‑health centers, said the measure would “essentially allocate the beds so that the local community mental health…
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