129th Maine State Legislature (2019-2020)

We are working with our Maine legislators to create legislation that will advance our goals:

Ensure access to quality, efficient and effective mental health and substance use services.
Achieve positive system change in the public perception of mental health and substance use disorder.
Support the delivery of services with a highly competent workforce.

POLICY AGENDA FOR 129^THLEGISLATURE

Invest in Behavioral Health Workforce
- Streamline certification and licensure for behavioral health clinicians and create a targeted tax credit or loan program for underserved areas
- Review the DHHS background check mandate to make improvements, add flexibility and choice, and reduce discrimination
Enhance Access to MaineCare Behavioral Health Services
- Establish regular Medicaid Rate Review process with oversight advisory committee
- Increases in reimbursement rates for critical MaineCare behavioral health services to enhance adequacy of the provider network and increase access to MaineCare services
Invest in Mental Health Services
- Resolve to review the changes made to the crisis system in Maine to discern need for investment or improvement
- Enhance access to Section 17 Community Integration services based on functional need
- Invest in home and community treatment for children with behavioral health needs
- Expand MaineCare eligibility for Non-Emergency Transportation (NET) to parents/guardians to participate in appointments with their child receiving MaineCare mental health residential services
Invest in Substance Use Treatment (SUD) Services
- Recovery Residence voluntary certification standards and housing assistance fund
- Create homeless medication assisted treatment program
- Expand access to Medication Assisted Treatment

Bills–129th Maine Legislative First Session

Click here for critical bills awaiting funding on the Appropriations Committee. We could use your help in getting them funded!!

Below are bills we have been monitoring, supporting or sharing concerns about this session:

1	An Act To Protect Health Care Coverage for Maine Families	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
3	An Act To Enhance and Increase the Availability of Mental Health Providers in Maine	Support	DEAD
29	Resolve, To Implement the Recommendations of the Task Force To Address the Opioid Crisis in the State by Establishing a Work Group To Develop Educational Programming for Prevention of Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders among Youth and Adolescents	Support	DEAD
40	Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Study Children’s Mental Health	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
46	An Act To Establish a Substance Use Disorder Clinic at the Cumberland County Jail	Support	Carried Over
228	An Act To Expedite the Issuance of Alcohol and Drug Counseling Licenses	High Priority	Became Law Signed by Governor
232	An Act To Change the Process by Which Designated Nonstate Mental Health Institutions Petition the District Court To Admit Certain Patients to a Progressive Treatment Program	Support	Carried Over
266	An Act To Eliminate the 2-year Limit on MaineCare Coverage for Approved Drugs for Opioid Use Disorder	High Priority	DEAD
303	An Act To Require Housing Facilities for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Be Equipped with Naloxone	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
329	An Act To Exempt from Criminal Liability Persons Reporting a Drug-related Medical Emergency	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
349	An Act To Extend the Refundability of the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit to Students in the Behavioral Health Field	High Priority	Dead
414	An Act To Provide Intensive Case Managers to Counties That Do Not Have County Jails or Regional Jails	Support	Carried Over
532	Resolve, Directing Professional Licensing and Certification Boards To Study the Barriers To Obtaining Professional Licensure and Certification	Support	DEAD
593	Resolve, To Stabilize the Behavioral Health Workforce and Avert More Expensive Treatments	High priority	Carried Over
615	An Act To Protect the Integrity of the MaineCare Program	Strong Support	Became law without signature
699	Resolve, To Provide for Outreach Programs To Assist Women at Risk of Giving Birth to Substance-exposed Infants	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
724	An Act To Amend the Maine Background Check Center Act To Provide Employers Flexibility To Use Approved Alternate Vendors	Support	DEAD
734	Resolve, To Expedite the Processing of Applications for Certification under the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit	Support	Carried Over
738	Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Health and Human Services To Convene a Study Group To Review Crisis Services	Priority	DEAD
761	An Act To Clarify and Affirm Medicaid Eligibility for Incarcerated Individuals	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
763	An Act To Ensure the Availability of Community Integration Services	Priority	Carried Over
775	An Act To Expand Community Support Services for Certain Adult Members of the MaineCare Program	High Priority	Became Law Signed by Governor
793	An Act To Improve Accountability of Opioid Manufacturers	Support	Became Law without Governor’s Signature (Emergency Measure)
803	An Act To Fund Mental Health Crisis Intervention Services	Support	Carried Over
876	Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services To Build Peer Respite Program Capacity in Maine by Implementing at Least One Peer Respite Program	Support	DEAD
880	An Act to Respond to Federal Changes to Social Programs	Priority	Carried Over
892	An Act To Eliminate the Private Nonmedical Institution Service Provider Tax for Entities That Do Not Otherwise Recover the Tax	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
934	Resolve, To Review the Maine Background Check Center Act Implementation and Impact	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
984	Resolve, To Increase Funding for Children’s Behavioral Health Issues in Order To Return to the State Children Who Are Currently Housed in Residential Treatment Systems outside of the State and To Suspend Certain Contracts Related to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities	High Priority	Became Law Signed by Governor
993	An Act To Expand Recovery Support Services Offered in Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties To Improve Access, Treatment and Recovery for Those Affected by Substance Use Disorder by Designating a Regional Peer Supported Recovery Center	Support	DEAD
1006	Resolve, To Require the Development of Strategies for Reducing Health Disparities Based on Social Determinants	Support	DEAD
1007	An Act to Expand and Enhance Maine’s Behavioral Health Direct Care Workforce	High Priority	Became Law Signed by Governor
1009	An Act To Provide Protections for Maine Patients Facing Step Therapy	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1025	An Act To Prohibit the Provision of Conversion Therapy to Minors by Certain Licensed Professionals	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1028	An Act To Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use with Adequate Funding and by Raising the Tax on Tobacco Products	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1030	An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Substance Use Disorder Services Commission	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1032	An Act To Ensure Sufficient Representation of Adults Receiving Mental Health Services on Local Councils within the Consumer Council System of Maine	Oppose	DEAD
1039	Resolve, To Establish and Fund Interventions for At-risk Families and Children	High Priority	This was done through the DHHS
1052	An Act To Require Regular and Transparent Review of MaineCare Reimbursement Rates	High Priority	This was done through the DHHS
1062	An Act To Support Maine Families by Providing for Transportation of Family Members of MaineCare Recipients to Their Appointments	Priority	DEAD
1070	An Act To Reduce the Number of Domestic Assaults and Suicides By Increasing the Tax on Alcohol	Support	DEAD
1096	An Act To Require That Comprehensive Substance Use Disorder Treatment Be Made Available to Maine’s Incarcerated Population	Support	Carried Over
1108	Resolve, Establishing the Task Force on Alternatives to Incarceration for Maine Youth	Support	This was done without legislation
1135	Resolve, To Increase Funding for Evidence-based Assertive Community Treatment	High Priority	Carried Over
1185	An Act To Facilitate Intervention by and Provision of Services through the Department of Health and Human Services for Certain Families Affected by Substance Use	Support	DEAD
1199	An Act To Protect the Safety of Health Care Workers	Support	DEAD
1210	Resolve, To Direct the Commissioner of Corrections To Study Changes in Corrections Practices and Reinvestment in Corrections Resources To Reduce Recidivism and Control Correctional Facility Costs	Support	Carried Over
1260	An Act Regarding Short-term, Limited-duration Health Plans	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1263	An Act Regarding Telehealth	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1274	An Act To Enact the Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1275	An Act To Support Access to Health Services for Homeless Youth in Maine	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1315	An Act To Support Medically Monitored Crisis Support and Intervention	Strong Support	Carried Over
1337	An Act To Save Lives by Establishing a Homeless Opioid Users Service Engagement Project within the Department of Health and Human Services	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1362	An Act To Fund Opioid Treatment by Establishing an Excise Tax on Manufacturers of Opioids	Strong Support	Carried Over
1399	An Act To Improve Oral Health and Access to Dental Care for Maine Children	Support	Became Law without Governor’s Signature
1418	An Act To Address Maine’s Shortage of Behavioral Health Services for Minors	Support	Carried Over
1461	An Act To Support Early Intervention and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders	Strong Support	Carried Over
1466	An Act To Allow Community-based Organizations To Participate in Diversion Projects for Persons with Substance Use Disorder	Support	Carried Over
1486	An Act To Strengthen Supports for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism in Crisis	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1499	An Act To Establish the Maine Prescription Drug Affordability Board	Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1523	An Act To Ensure the Quality of and Increase Access to Recovery Residences	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1526	An Act To Increase the Availability of Foster Homes	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1602	Resolve, To Develop a Mental Health Plan for the State	Priority	Became Law Signed by Governor
1635	Resolve, To Improve Access to Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Services for Children from Birth to 8 Years of Age	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1689	An Act To Address the Opioid Crisis through Evidence-based Public Health Policy	Support	Carried Over
1694	An Act To Amend the Mental Health Insurance Coverage Laws	Strong Support	Became Law Signed by Governor
1756	An Act To Improve Public Safety through Coordinated Reentry of Prisoners into the Community	Support	Carried Over
1809	Resolve, To Increase Funding for Evidence-based Therapies for Treating Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children	High Priority	Became Law without Governor’s Signature
1822	An Act To Protect Access to Services for Adults with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness	Oppose	Carried Over
1838	“Resolve, Requiring the Department of Health and Human Services To Examine Options for Upper Payment Limit Adjustments for MaineCare Services”	High Priority	Became Law with Governor’s Signature
1855	An Act To Include Student Absences for Mental Health or Behavioral Health Needs as Excusable Absences	Support	Became Law with Governor’s Signature
1934	An Act Regarding the Process for Optaining Prior Authorization for Health Insurance Purposes for Medicaid Recipients	Support	Signed by the Governor
1937	An Act to Provide Timely Access to BH Services for Maine Children and to Address Trauma and the Impacts of the Opioid Crisis	High Priority	Carried Over
1940	Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services To Increase MaineCare Reimbursement Rates for Targeted Case Management Services To Reflect Inflation	Support	Carried Over
1946	An Act To Improve Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Care by Providing Care in Clinical Reproductive and Sexual Health Care Settings	Support	Carried Over
2056	Resolve, To Create the Frequent Users System Engagement Collaborative	Support	Carried Over
2151	An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Juvenile Justice System Advisory Assessment and Reinvestment Task Force	Support with comments	Carried Over

POLICY AGENDA FOR 129TH LEGISLATURE

Bills–129th Maine Legislative First Session

An Act To Protect Health Care Coverage for Maine Families

Support

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Enhance and Increase the Availability of Mental Health Providers in Maine

Support

DEAD

Resolve, To Implement the Recommendations of the Task Force To Address the Opioid Crisis in the State by Establishing a Work Group To Develop Educational Programming for Prevention of Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders among Youth and Adolescents

Support

DEAD

Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Study Children’s Mental Health

Strong Support

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Establish a Substance Use Disorder Clinic at the Cumberland County Jail

Support

Carried Over

An Act To Expedite the Issuance of Alcohol and Drug Counseling Licenses

High Priority

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Change the Process by Which Designated Nonstate Mental Health Institutions Petition the District Court To Admit Certain Patients to a Progressive Treatment Program

Support

Carried Over

An Act To Eliminate the 2-year Limit on MaineCare Coverage for Approved Drugs for Opioid Use Disorder

High Priority

DEAD

An Act To Require Housing Facilities for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Be Equipped with Naloxone

Support

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Exempt from Criminal Liability Persons Reporting a Drug-related Medical Emergency

Support

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Extend the Refundability of the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit to Students in the Behavioral Health Field

High Priority

Dead

An Act To Provide Intensive Case Managers to Counties That Do Not Have County Jails or Regional Jails

Support

Carried Over

Resolve, Directing Professional Licensing and Certification Boards To Study the Barriers To Obtaining Professional Licensure and Certification

Support

DEAD

Resolve, To Stabilize the Behavioral Health Workforce and Avert More Expensive Treatments

High priority

Carried Over

An Act To Protect the Integrity of the MaineCare Program

Strong Support

Became law without signature

Resolve, To Provide for Outreach Programs To Assist Women at Risk of Giving Birth to Substance-exposed Infants

Strong Support

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Amend the Maine Background Check Center Act To Provide Employers Flexibility To Use Approved Alternate Vendors

Support

DEAD

Resolve, To Expedite the Processing of Applications for Certification under the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit

Support

Carried Over

Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Health and Human Services To Convene a Study Group To Review Crisis Services

Priority

DEAD

An Act To Clarify and Affirm Medicaid Eligibility for Incarcerated Individuals

Strong Support

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Ensure the Availability of Community Integration Services

Priority

Carried Over

An Act To Expand Community Support Services for Certain Adult Members of the MaineCare Program

High Priority

Became Law Signed by Governor

An Act To Improve Accountability of Opioid Manufacturers

Support

Became Law without Governor’s Signature (Emergency Measure)

An Act To Fund Mental Health Crisis Intervention Services

Support

Carried Over

Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services To Build Peer Respite Program Capacity in Maine by Implementing at Least One Peer Respite Program

Support

DEAD

An Act to Respond to Federal Changes to Social Programs

Priority

POLICY AGENDA FOR 129^THLEGISLATURE