RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 33 (HB 159) 2017 Regular Session Dustin Miller
Existing law known as the Behavioral Health Services Provider Licensing Law, R.S. 40:2151
et seq., authorizes the La. Dept. of Health (LDH) to provide for the health, safety, and
welfare of persons receiving behavioral health services through licensure and regulation of
behavioral health services providers.
Existing law defines "behavioral health services provider" as a facility, agency, institution,
person, society, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, group, or other legal
entity that provides behavioral health services and presents itself to the public as a provider
of behavioral health services.
New law retains existing law.
Existing law exempts certain types of providers from the requirement for licensure as a
behavioral health services provider. New law repeals prior law that exempted healthcare
providers meeting all of the following criteria from the requirement for behavioral health
services provider licensure:
(1)Was an accredited mental health rehabilitation provider enrolled in the La. Medicaid
program as of Feb. 28, 2012.
(2)Was enrolled with the statewide management organization for the La. Behavioral
Health Partnership as of March 1, 2012.
(3)Maintains continuous, uninterrupted accreditation through an approved accreditation
organization.
(4)Maintains continuous, uninterrupted enrollment with the statewide management
organization for the La. Behavioral Health Partnership.
New law requires mental health rehabilitation providers meeting the criteria above to be
licensed as behavioral health services providers in accordance with existing law and new law
prior to April 1, 2018, in order to provide behavioral health services.
New law requires each provider subject to new law to submit a completed application to
LDH for a behavioral health services provider license on or before Dec. 1, 2017.
Effective upon signature of governor (June 3, 2017).
(Adds R.S. 40:2154.1; Repeals R.S. 40:2154(A)(14))