Social Services Program Amendments

Added $1,172,000 in General Fund appropriations for FY 2026 to fund 'Healthcare and Housing: Medical Respite End-of-Life Care for Homeless' and 'Skilled Nursing Facility Behavioral Health'.

Created a new 'Medicaid ACA Fund' to collect and manage specific revenues, including sales tax and savings from Medicaid programs, to pay for health coverage improvements and waiver expansions.

Established a new 'deemed site' process allowing adult substance use and mental health providers to avoid state on-site inspections if they are accredited by a nationally recognized organization.

Added a special effective date of July 1, 2025, specifically for the Medicaid drug program changes regarding psychotropic drugs, while the rest of the bill takes effect May 7, 2025.

Renumbered and reorganized sections to include new content, shifting the bill from a single Medicaid focus to a broader social services package.

Created a new 'Medicaid ACA Fund' to collect and manage specific revenue streams for Medicaid-related programs, including hospital assessments, intergovernmental transfers, and savings from various Medicaid initiatives.

Established new 'deemed site' status for adult substance use and mental health providers that meet national accreditation standards, allowing them to avoid routine on-site inspections while maintaining accountability through documentation requirements.

Updated Medicaid drug coverage rules to include atypical anti-psychotic drugs on the preferred drug list and created a prior authorization override system for certain medications with specific documentation requirements.

Clarified definitions for various residential care programs including boarding schools, therapeutic schools, recovery residences, and residential support programs to better distinguish between educational and treatment facilities.

Enhanced oversight powers for the Division of Integrated Healthcare to audit local authorities, withhold funds for noncompliance, and ensure uniform application of requirements across the state.

Extended the deadline for implementing certain Medicaid waiver provisions and established specific compliance milestones for psychotropic drug prescribing patterns.

Renumbered and reorganized several sections of the Utah Code to improve clarity and consistency across related statutes.

Created a new Medicaid ACA Fund that can be used to pay for health coverage improvement, enhancement waiver, Medicaid waiver expansion, and outpatient upper payment limit supplemental programs.

Appropriated $1,100,000 in fiscal year 2026 for behavioral health treatment expansion, including specific allocations for Tooele County and Odyssey House opioid transitional housing.

Added deemed site status for adult substance use and mental health providers, requiring national accreditation and documentation for sites operated by licensees.

Established prior authorization requirements for nonpreferred drugs in the same therapeutic class as preferred drugs on the Medicaid preferred drug list.

Created new committee membership requirements for the Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Committee to include representatives from courts, victim services, and peer support specialists.

Established mental health resources requirements for first responders, including periodic screenings and access to mental health services within 48 hours of critical incidents.

Updated definitions to clarify distinctions between boarding schools, therapeutic schools, residential support programs, and recovery residences to prevent regulatory confusion.

Added new definitions for mental health crisis services, mobile crisis outreach teams, and targeted case management to support crisis intervention programs.

Expanded Medicaid waiver coverage to include qualified inmates leaving prison or jail for up to 90 days before release.

Set effective dates for various sections, with most changes taking effect May 7, 2025, and Medicaid drug program changes taking effect July 1, 2025.

Appropriated funding amount changed from $1,172,000 to $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2026, with specific line items adjusted for Integrated Health Care Services.

Added new definitions for 'certified community health workers' and expanded definitions for various mental health and substance use program types including recovery residences and therapeutic schools.

New requirements for deemed sites in substance use and mental health treatment programs, including national accreditation standards and documentation requirements.

New provisions for first responder mental health resources, including periodic screenings and access to peer support services.

Enhanced oversight powers for the Division of Integrated Healthcare, including ability to withhold funds from local authorities for noncompliance and new reporting requirements for recidivism data.

Added new effective date provisions for certain Medicaid drug program changes, with some provisions taking effect July 1, 2025 instead of May 7, 2025.

Updated eligibility criteria for various programs including expanded definitions of vulnerable populations and new requirements for peer support specialist certification.