This bill establishes the Behavioral Health Grant Program and the Behavioral Health Grant Program Fund in New Mexico, aimed at supporting municipalities and counties in developing community-based programs for the prevention, treatment, and screening of behavioral health issues. The program will be administered by the local government division of the Department of Finance and Administration, which will award grants based on recommendations from the behavioral health services division and the interagency behavioral health purchasing collaborative. The bill outlines specific criteria for grant eligibility, including the requirement for counties and municipalities to submit adopted behavioral health plans and emphasizes the prioritization of evidence-based and innovative programs, particularly those targeting children.

To fund the Behavioral Health Grant Program, the bill mandates distributions from the net receipts of both the liquor excise tax and the cannabis excise tax. Specifically, it allocates two percent of the liquor excise tax and five percent of the cannabis excise tax to the Behavioral Health Grant Program Fund, while also ensuring that a portion of the liquor excise tax is directed to the health care authority to enhance Medicaid reimbursement for behavioral health services. The bill also includes provisions for the administration and evaluation of the grant program, requiring annual reports from grantees to assess the effectiveness of funded programs. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 7-1-6.40, 7-1-6.68