The bill establishes a mental health capacity grant program through the Department of Mental Health, aimed at addressing the increased mental health needs of nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of hate crimes, as well as those serving populations vulnerable to such crimes. The program will provide grants to these organizations to enhance the behavioral health competency of their staff and expand supportive programming tailored to the specific needs of their communities. Eligible programming may include mental health first aid training, culturally responsive referral programs, community education, and other initiatives that positively impact mental health.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Mental Health promulgate regulations for grant distribution, ensuring that funds are allocated in a geographically equitable manner and aligned with the types of bias reported in annual hate crime reports. The commissioner of mental health is required to submit an annual report detailing the activities of the grant program, including the number of applications received, grants awarded, funding amounts, and the missions of the grantee organizations, as well as the programming supported and the priority populations identified based on state hate crime reports.