The bill proposes the establishment of a five-year pilot program called the Early Childhood Mental Health Hub, which will be administered by the executive office of health and human services. The program aims to improve access to mental health services for children under the age of six and their families in Rhode Island. The hub will be responsible for training mental health professionals, maintaining a registry of qualified professionals, monitoring service availability and new recommendations, and making suggestions to Medicaid and behavioral health systems to address service gaps.

The bill outlines specific priorities for the hub, including state-supported training for clinicians in evidence-based therapies, developmentally-appropriate screenings and evaluations for mental health challenges in young children, and increasing the number of qualified bilingual and culturally diverse mental health clinicians. The hub will also serve as a community resource for families and health professionals. The general assembly is tasked with appropriating funds for the program, and the secretary is required to report on the program's activities, financials, and recommendations to the governor and legislative leaders by January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2024.