The proposed bill, SB 3066, aims to establish a statewide Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) program under Title 42 of the General Laws, specifically designed to provide community-based behavioral health crisis services for children and youth up to the age of twenty-one. The bill includes definitions of key terms, such as the roles of the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and designated MRSS providers. It specifies that MRSS will be available statewide, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, without requiring prior authorization or referral.

The program will focus on delivering services in natural environments, such as homes, schools, and childcare settings, and will include components like rapid mobile crisis response, crisis assessment and de-escalation, short-term stabilization, family engagement, and care coordination. The bill mandates the establishment of standards for MRSS service fidelity, response times, and workforce composition, ensuring that designated providers have the necessary expertise in children's behavioral health.

Additionally, the bill requires the Medicaid agency to designate MRSS as a covered Medicaid service for eligible children and youth, including compliance with the early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment (EPSDT) benefit. The Medicaid agency must submit a report outlining necessary steps for an alternative funding methodology for Medicaid MRSS payments by October 1, 2027, with implementation occurring no later than October 1, 2028.

The bill emphasizes the importance of cultural and linguistic competency in service delivery and outlines the department's responsibilities for oversight, data collection on MRSS utilization, response times, outcomes, and cost avoidance. It also requires the department to submit an annual report to the governor and the general assembly detailing program utilization, funding sources, outcomes related to emergency department and inpatient diversion, and recommendations for statutory or budgetary changes. The department is granted rulemaking authority to implement the chapter and establish a mutual aid framework for MRSS coverage during high demand or capacity constraints.