Abramson (HB 720) Act No. 335
Existing law authorizes the LSU Board of Supervisors and LSU Health Science Center (LSU
HSC) to transfer certain state property in Orleans Parish, known as the New Orleans
Adolescent Hospital (NOAH), to the division of administration. Prior law authorized the
commissioner of administration to lease the same state property in Orleans Parish to the
Children's Hospital, New Orleans.
New law retains prior law and adds the authorization to transfer the property to Children's
Hospital, New Orleans.
Prior law required that any lease entered into by the commissioner under prior law contain
the following provisions:
(1)The property shall be administered, managed, and operated as a facility for health
care, mental health care, or health care or mental health care education.
(2)The portion of the property shall be administered, managed, and operated so as to
provide mental health care including inpatient and outpatient services consistent with
those services formally provided by the NOAH prior to 2010. Such services may be
provided by a third party and as more particularly provided for in the lease
agreement.
New law repeals the requirement that the property be administered, managed, and operated
so as to provide mental health care, including inpatient and outpatient services consistent
with those services formally provided by the NOAH prior to 2010.
Existing law provides that if the property is not administered, managed, and operated as
provided in the conditions, the lease shall terminate, and control of such property shall
immediately revert to and vest in the state.
Prior law required the lease to Children's Hospital to be executed by Feb. 1, 2013, or after
Children's Hospital refuses to enter a lease, whichever is sooner, the division of
administration could offer to lease the property to the highest bidder. New law repeals prior
law.
Prior law provided that if the property is not leased after being offered to the highest bidder
by Aug. 1, 2013, or six months if Children's Hospital refuses to enter a lease, whichever is
sooner, the property shall revert to the LSU Board of Supervisors and LSU HSC. New law
repeals prior law.
New law requires Children's Hospital to open the following:
(1)A minimum of an additional 16 pediatric or adolescent behavior health care beds,
and, in good faith, make reasonable efforts to consider adding beds if the 16 beds
reach 90% occupancy for a three-month period.
(2)Behavioral health care services for children under five years of age.
(3)Expansion of the Autism Center at Children's Hospital Campus.
(4)Inpatient-to-outpatient behavioral transition care.
New law provides for consolidation and reallocation of capital outlay funding to NOAH in
Act No. 23 of the 2012 R.S. to purchase equipment for the University Medical Center.
New law provides that such reallocated capital outlay funds shall be used first to fund such
equipment at no additional charge to the University Medical Center Management
Corporation, provided that University Medical Center Management Corporation or Louisiana
Children's Medical Center demonstrate that additional behavioral health services will be
provided at the hospital or in the New Orleans area at one of the Louisiana Children's
Medical Center affiliates consistent with the provision of new law. New law provides that in consideration of the reallocated capital outlay or comparable
funding, Children's Hospital, New Orleans shall make reasonable, good faith efforts to
consider and provide services for substance abuse, longer term inpatients, juvenile justice,
and day treatment. Consideration of these services shall be in consultation with stakeholders.
New law requires Children's Hospital and the Dept. of Health and Hospitals to seek the most
advantageous utilization of the increased bed capacity and the development of an inpatient-
out-patient behavioral transition care program.
New law provides that except as otherwise provided in new law, the services provided for
in new law may be located in the city of New Orleans after holding a public hearing with an
opportunity for public comment.
New law requires Children's Hospital, New Orleans to submit a report to the speaker, the
president, and the House and Senate committees on health and welfare on the behavioral
mental health services provided for in new law on February 1
st
of each year until 2018 or
until the obligations are met under new law, whichever occurs first.
Effective June 17, 2013.
(Amends §3, 4, and 5(A) of Act No. 867 of the 2012 R.S.; Repeals §6 of Act No. 867 of the
2012 R.S.)