SB 610

This bill directs the Department of Health Services to establish a pilot program

to implement virtual behavioral health crisis care services for use by county or

municipal law enforcement agencies in the field to connect law enforcement officers

who encounter persons in crisis to behavioral healthcare services. Under the bill,

DHS must contract with a private entity to provide virtual behavioral health crisis

care services, including related equipment and training, that provide law

enforcement officers with remote access via two-way audio/video communication to

behavioral healthcare expertise and decision-making support. Then DHS must

identify counties and municipalities to participate in the pilot program to use the

contracted services.

Under the bill, to be eligible to participate in the pilot program a county or

municipality must pay 30 percent of the cost for the equipment and services

contracted for that county or municipality. No more than 50 percent of program

resources may be allocated to counties or municipalities with a population of more

than 50,000, and no more than 10 percent of program resources may be allocated to

a single county or municipality.

No later than May 1, 2025, DHS must collect and report information to the Joint

Committee on Finance on the program's costs and effectiveness.