Dear Advocates,

We invite you to follow along as we navigate this year's new and exciting legislative session. If you are interested in learning more about our policy agenda, please be sure to review our 2022 Public Policy Statements HERE.

Mental Health America of Indiana advocates for effective legislation that will improve the behavioral health sector in Indiana. Below are KEY behavioral health bills heard in committee this week:
House Bills:
House Bill 1222:
VARIOUS FSSA MATTERS (Ziemke, C) - Allows the family and social services administration to deny or revoke licensing for a child care home based on a household member's conviction for certain specified criminal offenses. Removes a limitation specifying that an occupancy provision regarding school-age children in class I child care homes applies only during the school year. Eliminates the bureau of quality improvement services and reassigns the bureau's responsibilities to the bureau of developmental disabilities services. Renames the bureau of child care as the office of early childhood and out of school learning. Amends the required composition of mobile crisis teams that provide behavioral health services in conjunction with the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline. Provides that a contract entered into with a third party by the division of mental health and addiction (division) for provision of competency restoration services to a defendant may confer to the third party all authority the division would have in providing the services to the defendant at a state psychiatric institution. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to: (1) establish a plan to expand the use of certified community behavioral health clinics in Indiana; and (2) make certain considerations in preparing the plan. Allows the office of the secretary of family and social services to apply for a Medicaid waiver to provide behavioral health services to a committed offender held by the department of correction. Makes conforming amendments.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 Second reading ; ordered engrossed

House Bill 1004:
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION (Frye, R) - Amends and updates certain terms involving direct placement in a community corrections program. Updates the definition of "community corrections program". Specifies that a court may suspend any portion of a sentence and order a person to be placed in a community corrections program for the part of the sentence which must be executed. Provides that a person placed on a level of supervision as part of a community corrections program: (1) is entitled to earned good time credit; (2) may not earn educational credit; and (3) may be deprived of earned good time credit. Provides that when a person completes a placement program, the court may place the person on probation. Provides that a court may commit a person convicted of a Level 6 felony for an offense committed after June 30, 2022, to the department of correction (department), and that, consistent with current law, a court may commit a person convicted of a Level 6 felony for an offense committed before July 1, 2022, to the department only if certain circumstances exist. Establishes certain conditions of parole for a person on lifetime parole and makes the violation of parole conditions and commission of specified other acts by a person on lifetime parole a Level 6 felony, with an enhancement to a Level 5 felony for a second or subsequent offense. Provides that, for purposes of calculating accrued time and good time credit, a calendar day includes a partial calendar day. Makes conforming changes.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 Committee Report ; amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on Appropriations

House Bill 1140:
MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN (Vermilion, A) - Repeals the statute specifying Medicaid eligibility for qualified pregnant women. Increases the Medicaid income eligibility requirements for pregnant women. Removes the Medicaid limitation for pregnant women of medical assistance coverage only for pregnancy related services. Extends postpartum Medicaid coverage for pregnant women from 60 days to 12 months beginning on the last day of the pregnancy.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 added as cosponsors ; Senators Leising and Yoder

House Bill 1192:
QUALIFIED PROVIDERS AND MEDICAID SCHOOL SERVICES (Karickhoff, M) - Defines "qualified provider" and "school based nurse" for purposes of providing Medicaid covered services in a school setting. Specifies conditions that must be met in order for the school based Medicaid services to be provided.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 Committee Report ; do pass, adopted
Senate Bills:
Senate Bill 5:
RECIPROCITY (Brown, L) - Establishes a procedure to grant licenses and certificates to practice certain health care professions in Indiana. Requires the applicant to hold a current license or certificate from another state or jurisdiction and meet other requirements. Allows the applicant who meets certain requirements to apply for a provisional license or provisional certificate. Requires the provisional license or provisional certificate to be issued within 30 days. Provides for penalties for submitting false information on an application for a provisional license or provisional certificate. Requires a board to make a final decision on a license or certificate application before the expiration of a provisional license or provisional certificate. Provides that if a board has a pending application for initial licensure or certification that requires final approval by the board, the board shall meet not more 31 days after the application is ready for approval. Provides that the medical licensing board may not issue a physician's license to an applicant using the reciprocity law beginning July 1, 2026. Eliminates certain requirements for an applicant seeking licensure as a clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, mental health counselor, addiction counselor, or clinical addiction counselor. Requires the boards that regulate bachelor's degree social workers, social workers, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, licensed addiction counselors, licensed clinical addiction counselors, and respiratory care practitioners to issue a license by reciprocity within 30 days if certain requirements are met. Requires the speech-language pathology and audiology board to, before January 1, 2023, initiate and make every effort to enter into reciprocity agreements with contiguous states to enter into a reciprocity agreement for individuals licensed as: (1) a speech-language pathologist; and (2) an audiologist; to practice the individual's profession under the license from one state in the other state.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 Referred to Ways and Means

Senate Bill 84:
SUICIDE AND DRUG OVERDOSE DEATH REPORTING (Leising, J) - Provides that the state department of health (department) shall annually prepare a report concerning all suicide and overdose fatalities in Indiana that occurred during the preceding calendar year. Requires the report to include: (1) the number of fatalities that occurred in each county; (2) the number of fatalities that occurred during each month; (3) the age, sex, and race of each fatality victim; and (4) the method of suicide or overdose, including the type of weapon and each substance used. Provides that the first report must also include information from the 2020 calendar year. Requires the department to submit the report and an executive summary of the report to the general assembly and the governor.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 added as cosponsor ; Representative Olthoff

Senate Bill 284:
TELEHEALTH MATTERS (Charbonneau, E) - Consolidates Medicaid telehealth language. Provides that "health care services" does not include certain case management services, care management services, service coordination services, or care coordination services for purposes of telehealth. Adds school psychologists, specified developmental therapists, peers, clinical fellows, students, and certain community mental health center providers to the definition of "practitioner" for purposes of practicing telehealth. Allows behavior health analysts to temporarily perform telehealth during the time when the professional licensing agency is preparing to implement licensure for the profession.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 Committee Report ; amend do pass, adopted

Senate Bill 365:
PSYCHOLOGY INTERJURISDICTIONAL COMPACT (Becker, V) - Establishes the psychology interjurisdictional compact concerning interjurisdictional telepsychology and the temporary authorization to practice psychology in another compact state. Sets forth requirements of a compact state. Sets forth the duties of the psychology interjurisdictional compact commission.
Current Status:  02/10/2022 Referred to Ways and Means
The Return of Hoosier Idol
We're Back... & Better Than Ever!

Join us on Wednesday, February 23rd, from 6 - 9 PM at the Indiana Roof Ballroom for The Return of Hoosier Idol!

Starring members of the Indiana General Assembly, legislators will compete to be crowned Hoosier Idol 2022!

Tickets are on SALE now!

Price of Table: $1,000
Price of Individual Tickets: $125

If you would like to sponsor this event, please email our Director of Communications and Marketing, Kelby Gaw, directly at kgaw@mhai.net

All funds raised from this event will be used to help protect and promote the lives of individual's effected by mental health and addiction. To learn more about the event and to register, click HERE.
More than ever, we must stay in touch with you through technology, so please be sure to sign up for our IN.session Newsletter and VoterVoice Action Alerts to stay up to date on important mental health related legislation.

If you would like to review all of the bills Mental Health America of Indiana is following, click HERE for our Action Track report!