House File 97 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 97 BY MURPHY A BILL FOR An Act providing eligibility for mental health services for 1 certain children through the regional mental health and 2 disability service system. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1476HH (4) 85 jp/sc
H.F. 97 Section 1. Section 331.396, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code 1 2013, is amended to read as follows: 2 b. The person is at least eighteen years of age and is a 3 resident of this state. However, a person who is seventeen 4 years of age, is a resident of this state, and is receiving 5 publicly funded children’s services may be considered eligible 6 for services through the regional service system during the 7 three-month period preceding the person’s eighteenth birthday 8 in order to provide a smooth transition from children’s to 9 adult services. In addition, a person who is a child less 10 than eighteen years of age and is a resident of this state 11 is eligible for services through the regional service system 12 provided all of the following requirements are met: 13 (1) The child meets all of the requirements to be eligible 14 for the regional service system other than the minimum age. 15 (2) The child has been diagnosed by a qualified professional 16 as having a disorder covered by the regional service system 17 and is in need of a treatment or other service covered by the 18 regional service system. 19 (3) The diagnosis required in subparagraph (2) is made by 20 a qualified professional affiliated with the school district 21 or affiliated with the authorities in charge of the nonpublic 22 school attended by the child. 23 Sec. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT. Section 25B.2, subsection 24 3, shall not apply to this Act. 25 EXPLANATION 26 This bill provides eligibility for mental health services 27 through the regional mental health and disability service 28 system for certain children. The regions, consisting of 29 counties, are being formed and phased in during FY 2013-2014. 30 Under current law, eligibility for mental health and 31 intellectual disability services under the regional service 32 system is limited to persons who are at least age 18 and 33 persons who are age 17, are within three months of becoming age 34 18, and are transitioning from the children’s system. 35 -1- LSB 1476HH (4) 85 jp/sc 1/ 2
H.F. 97 The bill provides eligibility for mental health services 1 from the regional system for residents of this state who are 2 children less than age 18, who meet all of the requirements 3 to be eligible for the regional services system other than 4 the minimum age, who have been diagnosed by a qualified 5 professional as having a disorder covered by the regional 6 service system and is in need of a treatment or other service 7 covered by the regional service system, and the diagnosis is 8 made by a qualified professional affiliated with the school 9 district or with the authorities in charge of the nonpublic 10 school attended by the child. 11 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 12 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 25B.2, 13 subsection 3, which would relieve a political subdivision from 14 complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of 15 the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, 16 political subdivisions are required to comply with any state 17 mandate included in the bill. 18 -2- LSB 1476HH (4) 85 jp/sc 2/ 2