This bill amends section 71-812 of the Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, to expand the use of the Behavioral Health Services Fund to include individuals with substance use disorder. The fund, which is administered by the division, is intended to support the development and provision of community-based behavioral health services. The bill specifies that funds can be used for housing-related assistance for very low-income adults with serious mental illness or substance use disorder, and allows for the distribution of excess funds to regional behavioral health authorities for housing acquisition or rehabilitation.

Additionally, the bill redefines certain terms related to behavioral health services. It replaces the term "a person" with "an individual" in the definition of "adult with serious mental illness," and clarifies that serious mental illness does not include certain DSM V-code diagnoses unless they coexist with a diagnosable serious mental illness. The bill also introduces a definition for "substance use disorder" as defined in section 71-430, while maintaining the existing definitions for housing-related assistance and very low-income households. The original section 71-812 is repealed as part of this legislative update.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 71-812
Final Reading: 71-812