Committee advances bill to create revolving fund for rural behavioral health workforce
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Summary
House Bill 3066 would establish a revolving fund to implement a five-year, $7.5 million rural behavioral health workforce initiative; sponsor said the fund is necessary to deploy the planned grants and workforce supports, and the committee approved the bill by voice vote.
Representative Poke Miller presented House Bill 3066 as enabling a revolving fund for the 'Bridal Health Transformation' rural health initiative. He told members the Health Care Workforce Training Commission was tasked with $7,500,000 over five years to support licensed behavioral health professionals in rural areas and that creating a revolving fund is the remaining administrative step to implement that investment.
"The only thing preventing them from moving forward is having a revolving fund," the sponsor said, explaining that the fund would let the commission distribute the planned workforce supports, which include licensed social workers, counselors and behavioral health providers.
The committee asked no substantive follow-up and voted to pass the bill by a recorded voice count (5-0). Representative Poke Miller thanked members after the vote.
