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HB0169 • 2024

Mental health and vulnerable adult task force.

AN ACT relating to the legislature; continuing the mental health and vulnerable adult task force; specifying members and duties of the task force; requiring reports; providing a termination date for the task force; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Budget
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representative Zwonitzer, Dn
Last action
2024-02-23
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and was not considered by the Committee of the Whole (COW).

Continuation and Specification of Mental Health and Vulnerable Adult Task Force

This act continues a task force focused on mental health and services for vulnerable adults, setting its duties, funding, and termination date.

What This Bill Does

  • Continues the Mental Health and Vulnerable Adult Task Force created by management council in 2023.
  • Specifies that the task force will study ways to improve interagency cooperation and service provision for mental health and vulnerable adults.
  • Requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the governor, management council, and relevant legislative committees by October 1, 2024.
  • Funds the task force with $55,000 from the general fund until June 30, 2025.
  • Sets a termination date for the task force of December 31, 2024.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Members of the Wyoming House and Senate who will serve on the task force.
  • Government officials from various departments involved in mental health and vulnerable adult services.
  • The Legislative Service Office which will staff the task force.

Terms To Know

Task Force
A group of people brought together to work on a specific issue or project, often for a limited time.
Interagency Cooperation
Working together between different government agencies to achieve common goals.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not considered by the Committee of the Whole (COW).

Bill History

  1. 2024-02-23 House

    H COW:H Did not consider for COW

  2. 2024-02-20 House

    H Placed on General File

  3. 2024-02-20 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  4. 2024-02-15 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations 43-18-1-0-0

  5. 2024-02-13 House

    H Received for Introduction

  6. 2024-02-12 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0566
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0566
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0169

Mental health and vulnerable adult task force.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Zwonitzer, Dn and Sommers and Senator(s) Baldwin and Nethercott

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the legislature; continuing the mental health and vulnerable adult task force; specifying members and duties of the task force; requiring reports; providing a termination date for the task force; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

(a)

The mental health and vulnerable adult task force created by management council in 2023 is hereby continued. The task force shall consist of the following members:

(i)

Members of the legislature, as follows:

(A)

Three (3) members of the Wyoming house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house. The speaker of the house shall designate from one (1) of the members appointed under this subparagraph as co-chairman of the task force;

(B)

Three (3) members of the Wyoming senate, appointed by the president of the senate. The president of the senate shall designate from one (1) of the members appointed under this subparagraph as co-chairman of the task force.

(ii)

Members of the Wyoming state government, as follows:

(A)

The director of the department of health or the director's designee;

(B)

The director of the department of family services or the director's designee;

(C)

The director of the department of corrections or the director's designee;

(D)

The state superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee;

(E)

A member of the judicial branch, appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court. The member appointed under this subparagraph shall be a nonvoting, ex officio member of the task force.

(b)

The task force shall:

(i)

Study the state's role in providing mental health services and services for vulnerable adults in the state;

(ii)

Study and consider methods for removing barriers to interagency cooperation to better provide efficient and economical mental health services and services to vulnerable adults in the state;

(iii)

Study and consider methods for providing uninterrupted mental health and vulnerable adult services to persons if responsibility for services shifts from one (1) agency to another agency;

(iv)

Explore ways that state agencies can leverage resources to provide mental health and vulnerable adult services in complex situations;

(v)

Study and develop programs to address unmet needs in the state, including:

(A)

Services for adolescents with high behavioral needs;

(B)

Services for vulnerable and at-risk adults;

(C)

The diversion of mentally ill persons from the court system;

(D)

The coordination of mental health services to meet K-12 needs.

(vi)

Not later than October 1, 2024, report to the governor, management council and any applicable committee of the legislature on the work of the task force, including any recommendations for legislation for consideration by an appropriate committee.

(c)

The task force shall be staffed by the legislative service office.

(d)

The legislative members of the task force shall receive salary, per diem and travel expenses in the manner and amount prescribed by W.S. 28-5-101. Task force members who are government employees or officials shall be considered to be acting within the scope of regular employment when conducting the official business of the task force and shall receive their regular pay without additional compensation, except that those members shall receive mileage and per diem as provided for other members of the task force under this subsection if they are not reimbursed by their employer.

(e)

The task force shall terminate on December 31, 2024.

Section 2.

There is appropriated fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000.00) from the general fund to the legislative service office for purposes of providing salary, mileage and per diem to the legislative members of the mental health and vulnerable adult task force appointed under section 1(a)(i) of this act and for per diem and mileage, if necessary, for members of the task force serving under section 1(a)(ii) of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2025. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2025.

Section 3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0169