The bill, designated as Substitute House Bill No. 5454 with File No. 559, aims to enhance mental health services for young children (up to six years old), their caregivers, expectant mothers, and pregnant persons. It mandates the Commissioner of Social Services to collaborate with the Commissioners of Early Childhood, Children and Families, and Mental Health and Addiction Services to develop a strategic plan. This plan is to maximize federal and state resources, augment an existing intensive, evidence-based program for children five years old and younger, and utilize funds from existing programs and federal grants administered by the Departments of Social Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services.

The Commissioner of Social Services is required to submit a report on the strategic plan by October 1, 2024, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly that oversee appropriations, state agency budgets, children, human services, and public health. The report should identify existing funding that could support mental health services immediately and provide recommendations for necessary appropriations to expand services for the specified groups. The bill includes insertions that specify the file number and the departments involved in the administration of federal grants. The fiscal impact statement indicates that there is no anticipated state or municipal impact from the bill, as the Department of Social Services and consulting agencies possess the necessary expertise to fulfill the bill's requirements without additional costs.