| Chapter 287 |
| 2022 -- S 3033 Enacted 06/29/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS -- GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH |
Introduced By: Senator Joshua Miller |
| Date Introduced: June 17, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 40.1-29-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 40.1-29 entitled |
| "Governor's Council on Behavioral Health" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 40.1-29-3. Members. |
| (a) The council shall consist of thirty-one (31) thirty-two (32) voting members. |
| (1) There shall be four (4) members of the legislature, two (2) shall be from the senate and |
| shall be appointed by the senate president to serve for their legislative term, one from each of the |
| major political parties, and two (2) shall be from the house of representatives and shall be appointed |
| by the speaker to serve for their legislative term, one from each of the two (2) major political parties. |
| (2) The nonlegislative members shall be the executive director of the Substance Use and |
| Mental Health Leadership Council of RI, the mental health advocate, the child advocate, and a |
| representative of the AFL-CIO to be appointed by the governor, and the president of the Hospital |
| Association of Rhode Island or a designee thereof. |
| (3) The remaining twenty-three (23) public members shall be appointed by and serve at the |
| pleasure of the governor and shall represent community interests such as substance use disorder |
| treatment and prevention professionals; youth with behavioral health challenges, or their |
| representatives; consumers of substance-use disorder programs and their families; mental health |
| treatment professionals; adult and elderly consumers of mental health services and their families; |
| families of children who are consumers of mental health and substance-use disorder services; the |
| judiciary; criminal justice officials; and local government officials. |
| (4) Not less than fifty (50%) percent of the public members shall be individuals who are |
| not state employees or providers of behavioral health services. |
| (5) There shall be sufficient representation by the families of children who are consumers |
| of mental health and substance-use disorder services in order to ensure adequate representation of |
| such children. |
| (6) Every effort shall be made to ensure that appointed members represent the cultural |
| diversity of the state. |
| (7) All members shall have demonstrable expertise in, or experience with, substance use |
| disorders or mental health services in Rhode Island. In addition, the directors, or their designees, |
| of the departments of children, youth and families; corrections; education; health; human services; |
| behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals; the office of healthy aging; the |
| attorney general, or designee, and the executive director of the Rhode Island justice commission |
| shall serve as ex officio and without a vote as members of the council. |
| (b) Any vacancy that may occur in the council shall be filled in the same manner as the |
| original appointments. |
| (c) The governor shall designate one member as the chairperson of the council. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC006121 |
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