Vermont H 323: An act relating to Medicaid coverage for acupuncture

Bill Text

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H.323 1
Introduced by Representatives Berbeco of Winooski, Black of Essex, and 2
McFaun of Barre Town 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Health; mental health; education; youth mental health screenings; 6
curriculum; student peer support 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish the 8
Mental Health Innovation Special Fund for the purpose of funding various 9
programs proposed by this bill, such as the behavioral health innovation 10
program, a mental health screening program in schools, and a pilot peer-to-11
peer mental health support program in schools. This bill further proposes a 12
mental health and substance misuse literacy curriculum. 13
An act relating to mental health programming funded by the Mental Health 14
Innovation Special Fund 15
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 16
* * * Mental Health Innovation Special Fund * * * 17
Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 7116 is added to read: 18
§ 7116. MENTAL HEALTH INNOVATION SPECIAL FUND 19

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(a) There is created the Mental Health Innovation Special Fund, a special 1
fund established and managed pursuant to 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 5 2
and administered by the Department. The Mental Health Innovation Special 3
Fund shall consist of: 4
(1) all revenues raised by the Department of Taxes pursuant to 32 5
V.S.A. § 5862g; and 6
(2) monies received from public and private sources, including, gifts, 7
grants, donations, bequests, contributions of cash or securities, contributions of 8
property in kind from persons or governmental, nongovernmental, quasi-9
governmental, or local government entities. 10
(b) Monies in the Mental Health Innovation Special Fund shall be utilized 11
exclusively for the mental health screening program established in 16 V.S.A. 12
§ 1433, the behavioral health innovation grant program established in section 13
7115 of this title, and any other program or service specified in statute. 14
(c) Revenues deposited in the Mental Health Innovation Special Fund that 15
are unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General 16
Fund and shall be available for expenditure in the following fiscal year. 17
Sec. 2. 32 V.S.A. § 5862g is added to read: 18
§ 5862g. MENTAL HEALTH INNOVATION SPECIAL FUND CHECKOFF 19
(a) Returns filed by individuals shall include, on a form prescribed by the 20
Commissioner of Taxes, an opportunity for the taxpayer to designate funds to 21

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the Mental Health Innovation Special Fund established under 18 V.S.A. 1
§ 7116. 2
(b) Amounts designated under subsection (a) of this section shall be 3
deducted from refunds due to, or overpayment made by, the designating 4
taxpayer. All amounts so designated and deducted shall be deposited in an 5
account by the Commissioner of Taxes for payment to the Mental Health 6
Innovation Special Fund. If at any time after the payment of amounts 7
designated to the account it is determined that the taxpayer was not entitled to 8
all or any part of the amount designated, the Commissioner may assess, and the 9
account shall then pay to the Commissioner, the amount received, together 10
with interest at the rate prescribed by section 3108 of this title, from the date 11
the payment was made until the date of repayment. 12
(c) The Commissioner of Taxes shall: 13
(1) explain to taxpayers the purpose of the Mental Health Innovation 14
Special Fund and how to contribute to it; and 15
(2) provide notice regarding how to obtain a copy of the annual income 16
and expense report for the Mental Health Innovation Special Fund. 17
(d) If amounts paid with respect to a return are insufficient to cover both 18
the amount owed on the return under this chapter and the amount designated as 19
a contribution to the Mental Health Innovation Special Fund, the payment shall 20

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first be applied to the amount owed on the return under this chapter and the 1
balance, if any, shall be deposited in the Special Fund. 2
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the Commissioner 3
to collect any amount designated as a contribution to the Mental Health 4
Innovation Special Fund. 5
* * * Behavioral Health Innovation Grant Program * * * 6
Sec. 3. 18 V.S.A. § 7115 is added to read: 7
§ 7115. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM 8
(a) To the extent funds permit, the Agency of Human Services shall 9
establish and administer a behavioral health innovation grant program to 10
support qualified care providers working in the mental health and substance 11
misuse treatment fields using available monies from the Mental Health 12
Innovation Special Fund established in section 7116 of this title. Grants issued 13
by the Agency in accordance with this section shall enhance innova