SB 2445 Mississippi Senate · 2026 Regular Session

DMH; require to promulgate performance standards and perform periodic audits to assess Community Mental Health Centers.

SB 2445 requires Mississippi's Department of Mental Health (DMH) to create performance standards for Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) by June 2027 and conduct audits of each CMHC at least once every two years starting in fiscal year 2028. CMHCs that fail an audit enter a six-month probation period; if they fail again, DMH must replace their leadership with contractors until standards are met. The bill also repeals outdated provisions about a "Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility" position within the Department of Finance and Administration. This directly affects all 18 CMHCs and their regional commissions across Mississippi by establishing new accountability measures for service quality.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics: Mental Health

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 16, 2026 Last action Mar 3, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Current version · 9 edits

MAJOR

This bill updates Mississippi's mental health oversight and procurement rules. It adds due process protections for community mental health centers facing noncompliance, clarifies contractor replacement procedures with appeal rights, and adjusts the Public Procurement Review Board's authority and exemptions. The changes aim to balance accountability with procedural fairness in mental health service delivery and state contracting.

Scope change

The bill expands due process protections for mental health centers and modifies procurement exemptions for the Department of Mental Health. It also clarifies contractor oversight requirements.

ENFORCEMENT

Added due process rights for community mental health centers found in noncompliance, including written notice of intent to replace executives and appeal procedures before contractor replacement.

Changed contractor replacement authority from regional commission to department, with contractors now reporting to the department rather than the commission.

Added appeal process allowing community mental health center boards to request hearings within 14 days of replacement notice, with State Board of Mental Health conducting hearings within 90 days.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for contractors to obtain board approval before spending community mental health center funds and to provide monthly progress reports.

Modified probationary period requirements for mental health facilities, clarifying that departments must give six-month probation periods before taking enforcement action.

Added requirement for departments to provide written notice of intent to replace executive directors before contractor replacement.

Modified contractor selection process to require department responsibility for contracting and funding, with contractors reporting to the department.

Adjusted Public Procurement Review Board rules regarding sole source contracts and submission requirements.

FISCAL

Modified Ellisville State School and Boswell Regional Center trust fund provisions, changing language from 'interest earned' to 'earnings' and adjusting reporting requirements.

As Introduced → Committee Substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to add new performance audit requirements for community mental health centers, establish probationary periods for underperforming centers, and create a process for replacing executive directors with contractors if centers fail to meet standards. The bill also exempts certain mental health contracts from public procurement review, repeals the Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility position, and adds provisions for trust funds related to Ellisville State School and Boswell Regional Center land sales.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include performance audits of community mental health centers and contractor replacement mechanisms, while the Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility position was removed from the scope of covered positions.

REQUIREMENT

New requirement for the Department of Mental Health to develop performance rating scales and conduct audits of community mental health centers starting in fiscal year 2028, with audits occurring at least every two years.

Added specific requirements for contractors to remain in place until sustained compliance is achieved, with periodic reporting to the department and a six-month demonstration period after compliance is restored.

Repeal of Sections 41-20-1, 41-20-3, 41-20-5, 41-20-7, 41-20-9, and 41-20-11, which created the Coordinator of Mental Health Accessibility position within the Department of Finance and Administration.

ENFORCEMENT

New enforcement mechanism placing regional commissions or community mental health centers on a six-month probationary period if they fail to achieve passing scores on performance audits, with potential replacement of executive directors and officers with contractors.

EXEMPTIONS

Exemption from Public Procurement Review Board approval for personal or professional services contracts entered into by the Department of Mental Health in carrying out responsibilities under Section 41-4-7(mm).

FISCAL

Creation of special trust funds (Ellisville State School Client's Trust Fund and Boswell Regional Center Client's Trust Fund) to hold proceeds from land sales, with principal remaining inviolate and interest used solely for client benefits.

TIMELINE

Performance standards must be developed by June 30, 2027, and performance audits must begin during fiscal year 2028.

DEFINITION

New provisions regarding contractor authority, reporting requirements, and compliance demonstration periods for community mental health centers under probation.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 12, 2026

How they voted

34–22

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 59

Feb 12, 2026

D Democratic22

3 Yea 18 Nay 1

81% Nay

R Republican37

31 Yea 4 Nay 2

83% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

Referred To Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Introduced

Transmitted To House

upper

Feb 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed As Amended

upper

Feb 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

upper

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

Referred To Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors