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Mississippi Senate Bill SB2597

Mississippi 2025 Regular Session

Mississippi Senate Bill SB2597 Compare Versions

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1-MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2025 Regular Session To: Education By: Senator(s) Parker, Boyd, Williams Senate Bill 2597 (As Passed the Senate) AN ACT TITLED THE "MISSISSIPPI K-12 AND POSTSECONDARY MENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2025"; TO ESTABLISH AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (ICCCY); TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; TO SPECIFY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S COORDINATING RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO THE GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND INFORMATION COMPILED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 43-14-3 AND 43-14-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Act of 2025." (2) There is hereby established an Executive Committee of the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth (ICCCY), which shall include the following executive directors or administrators, or their designees, with experience in mental health, student performance or other relevant areas, from the ICCCY as provided in Section 43-14-1: (a) The State Superintendent of Public Education; (b) The Commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning; (c) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board; (d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; and (e) An employee of the Mississippi Department of Health, appointed by the State Health Officer, with relevant mental health experience. (3) The ICCCY Executive Committee shall have the following coordinating responsibilities related to the general mental health and well-being of children and adolescents: (a) Evaluating relevant personnel, including, but not limited to, school nurses, counselors and school psychologists, and examining the school's or district's relationship with its community mental health center or other private providers to recommend best practices for mental health resources and infrastructure for underperforming public schools or districts, as identified by the State Superintendent of Public Education; (b) Identifying key public school and district personnel and community college and university personnel, including, but not limited to, teachers, healthcare providers, counselors and resident assistants, to receive mental health first aid training that is evidence-based and approved by the Department of Mental Health; (c) Identifying and developing age-appropriate information and materials to distribute information regarding mental health and well-being at student orientations at public schools, universities and community colleges, or assemblies for parents and caretakers of students and other relevant members of the community who may interact with students; (d) Developing guidance for public schools and districts, universities and community colleges regarding age-appropriate mental health screening resources and other information for students, including 988 suicide and crisis hotline information; (e) Developing guidelines to help public schools and districts, universities and community colleges partner with community mental health centers, including crisis intervention teams, or private providers to provide services to students; (f) Compiling a master report by October 1, 2025, of all partially or fully state-funded programs related to improving the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The ICCCY Executive Committee, working together with other relevant agencies and organizations, shall be responsible for updating the report annually by October 1 of each year. The report shall be transmitted to the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Chair of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, the Chair of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Chair of the House Appropriations "A" Committee by November 1 each year; (g) Developing an internet-based mental health resource guide for public schools by August 1, 2025. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, public school districts shall include a visible mental health resource navigation link on the home page of their website to include the resource guide developed by the ICCCY Executive Committee; and (h) Engaging in other coordinated efforts from time to time in an effort to update resources and information related to mental health and well-being for students at public schools, universities and community colleges. (4) (a) All recommendations and information compiled by the executive committee shall be provided to the State Board of Education, State Institutions of Higher Learning and Mississippi Community College Board, as appropriate, which shall disseminate such information to relevant employees in public school districts, universities and community colleges. (b) All recommendations and information compiled by the executive committee shall also be provided to the ICCCY, Mississippi State Early Childhood Advisory Council, and any other agency, board, commission or council created by statute which the ICCCY Executive Committee identifies as relevant. SECTION 2. Section 43-14-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 43-14-1. (1) The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the development, implementation and oversight of a coordinated interagency system of necessary services and care for children and youth, called the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, up to age twenty-one (21) with serious emotional/behavioral disorders including, but not limited to, conduct disorders, or mental illness who require services from a multiple services and multiple programs system, and who can be successfully diverted from inappropriate institutional placement. The Mississippi Statewide System of Care is to be conducted in the most fiscally responsible (cost-efficient) manner possible, based on an individualized plan of care which takes into account other available interagency programs, including, but not limited to, Early Intervention Act of Infants and Toddlers, Section 41-87-1 et seq., Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment, Section 43-13-117(A)(5), waivered program for home- and community-based services for developmentally disabled people, Section 43-13-117(A)(29), and waivered program for targeted case management services for children with special needs, Section 43-13-117(A)(31), those children identified through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 as having a serious emotional disorder (EMD), the Mississippi Children's Health Insurance Program and waivered programs for children with serious emotional disturbances, Section 43-13-117(A)(46), and is tied to clinically and functionally appropriate outcomes. Some of the outcomes are to reduce the number of inappropriate out-of-home placements inclusive of those out-of-state and to reduce the number of inappropriate school suspensions and expulsions for this population of children. This coordinated interagency system of necessary services and care shall be named the Mississippi Statewide System of Care. Children to be served by this chapter who are eligible for Medicaid shall be screened through the Medicaid Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) and their needs for medically necessary services shall be certified through the EPSDT process. For purposes of this chapter, the Mississippi Statewide System of Care is defined as a coordinated network of agencies and providers working as a team to make a full range of mental health and other necessary services available as needed by children with mental health problems and their families. The Mississippi Statewide System of Care shall be: (a) Child centered, family focused, family driven and youth guided; (b) Community based; (c) Culturally competent and responsive; and shall provide for: (i) Service coordination or case management; (ii) Prevention and early identification and intervention; (iii) Smooth transitions among agencies and providers, and to the transition-age and adult service systems; (iv) Human rights protection and advocacy; (v) Nondiscrimination in access to services; (vi) A comprehensive array of services composed of treatment and informal supports that are identified as best practices and/or evidence-based practices; (vii) Individualized service planning that uses a strengths-based, wraparound process; (viii) Services in the least restrictive environment; (ix) Family participation in all aspects of planning, service delivery and evaluation; and (x) Integrated services with coordinated planning across child-serving agencies. Mississippi Statewide System of Care services shall be timely, intensive, coordinated and delivered in the community. Mississippi Statewide System of Care services shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) Comprehensive crisis and emergency response services; (b) Intensive case management; (c) Day treatment; (d) Alcohol and drug abuse group services for youth; (e) Individual, group and family therapy; (f) Respite services; (g) Supported employment services for youth; (h) Family education and support and family partners; (i) Youth development and support and youth partners; (j) Positive behavioral supports (PBIS) in schools; (k) Transition-age supported and independent living services; and (l) Vocational/technical education services for youth. (2) There is established the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth (hereinafter referred to as the "ICCCY"). The ICCCY shall consist of the following membership: (a) The State Superintendent of Public Education; (b) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; (c) The Executive Director of the State Department of Health; (d) The Executive Director of the Department of Human Services; (e) The Executive Director of the Division of Medicaid, Office of the Governor; (f) The Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services; (g) The Executive Director of Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc.; (h) The Commissioner of Child Protection Services; (i) The Attorney General; (j) A family member of a child or youth in the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies; (k) A youth or young adult in the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies; (l) A local MAP team coordinator designated by the Department of Mental Health; (m) A child psychiatrist experienced in the public mental health system designated by the Mississippi Psychiatric Association; (n) An individual with expertise and experience in early childhood education designated jointly by the Department of Mental Health and Mississippi Families as Allies; (o) A representative of an organization that advocates on behalf of disabled citizens in Mississippi designated by the Department of Mental Health; * * * and (p) A faculty member or dean from a Mississippi university specializing in training professionals who work in the Mississippi Statewide System of Care designated by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning * * *.; (q) The Commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning; (r) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board; and (s) An employee of the Mississippi Department of Health, appointed by the State Health Officer, with relevant mental health experience. If a member of the council designates a representative to attend council meetings, the designee shall bring full decision-making authority of the member to the meeting. The council shall select a chairman, who shall serve for a one-year term and may not serve consecutive terms. The council shall adopt internal organizational procedures necessary for efficient operation of the council. Each member of the council shall designate necessary staff of their departments to assist the ICCCY in performing its duties and responsibilities. The ICCCY shall meet and conduct business at least twice annually. The chairman of the ICCCY shall notify all ICCCY members and all other persons who request such notice as to the date, time, place and draft agenda items for each meeting. (3) The Interagency System of Care Council (ISCC) is created to serve as the state management team for the ICCCY, with the responsibility of collecting and analyzing data and funding strategies necessary to improve the operation of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, and to make recommendations to the ICCCY and to the Legislature concerning such strategies on, at a minimum, an annual basis. The System of Care Council also has the responsibility of coordinating the local Multidisciplinary Assessment and Planning (MAP) teams and "A" teams and may apply for grants from public and private sources necessary to carry out its responsibilities. The Interagency System of Care Council shall be comprised of one (1) member from each of the appropriate child-serving divisions or sections of the State Department of Health, the Department of Human Services (Division of Youth Services), the Department of Child Protection Services, the State Department of Mental Health (Division of Children and Youth, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), the State Department of Education (Office of Special Education and Office of Healthy Schools), the Division of Medicaid of the Governor's Office, the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Attorney General's office. Additional members shall include a family member of a child, youth or transition-age youth representing a family education and support 501(c)(3) organization, working with the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies, an individual with expertise and experience in early childhood education designated jointly by the Department of Mental Health and Mississippi Families as Allies, a local MAP team representative and a local "A" team representative designated by the Department of Mental Health, a probation officer designated by the Department of Corrections, a family member and youth or young adult designated by Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc., (MSFAA), and a family member other than a MSFAA representative to be designated by the Department of Mental Health and the Director of the Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement of the State Department of Education. Appointments to the Interagency System of Care Council shall be made within sixty (60) days after June 30, 2010. The council shall organize by selecting a chairman from its membership to serve on an annual basis, and the chairman may not serve consecutive terms. (4) (a) As part of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, there is established a statewide system of local Multidisciplinary Assessment, Planning and Resource (MAP) teams. The MAP teams shall be comprised of one (1) representative each at the county level from the major child-serving public agencies for education, human services, health, mental health and rehabilitative services approved by respective state agencies of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Child Protection Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. These agencies shall, by policy, contract or regulation require participation on MAP teams and "A" teams at the county level by the appropriate staff. Three (3) additional members may be added to each team, one (1) of which may be a representative of a family education/support 501(c)(3) organization with statewide recognition and specifically established for the population of children defined in Section 43-14-1. The remaining members will be representatives of significant community-level stakeholders with resources that can benefit the population of children defined in Section 43-14-1. The Department of Education shall assist in recruiting and identifying parents to participate on MAP teams and "A" teams. (b) For each local existing MAP team that is established pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection, there shall also be established an "A" (Adolescent) team which shall work with a MAP team. The "A" teams shall provide System of Care services for youthful offenders who have serious behavioral or emotional disorders. Each "A" team shall be comprised of, at a minimum, the following five (5) members: (i) A school counselor, mental health therapist or social worker; (ii) A community mental health professional; (iii) A social services/child welfare professional; (iv) A youth court counselor; and (v) A parent who had a child in the juvenile justice system. (c) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth and the Interagency System of Care Council shall work to develop MAP teams statewide that will serve to become the single point of entry for children and youth about to be placed in out-of-home care for reasons other than parental abuse/neglect. (5) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth may provide input to one another and to the ISCC relative to how each agency utilizes its federal and state statutes, policy requirements and funding streams to identify and/or serve children and youth in the population defined in this section. The ICCCY shall support the implementation of the plans of the respective state agencies for comprehensive, community-based, multidisciplinary care, treatment and placement of these children. (6) The ICCCY shall oversee a pool of state funds that may be contributed by each participating state agency and additional funds from the Mississippi Tobacco Health Care Expenditure Fund, subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature. Part of this pool of funds shall be available for increasing the present funding levels by matching Medicaid funds in order to increase the existing resources available for necessary community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries. (7) The local interagency coordinating care MAP team or "A" team will facilitate the development of the individualized System of Care programs for the population targeted in this section. (8) Each local MAP team and "A" team shall serve as the single point of entry and re-entry to ensure that comprehensive diagnosis and assessment occur and shall coordinate needed services through the local MAP team and "A" team members and local service providers for the children named in subsection (1). Local children in crisis shall have first priority for access to the MAP team and "A" team processes and local System of Care services. (9) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth shall facilitate monitoring of the performance of local MAP teams. (10) Each ICCCY member named in subsection (2) of this section shall enter into a binding memorandum of understanding to participate in the further development and oversight of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care for the children and youth described in this section. The agreement shall outline the system responsibilities in all operational areas, including ensuring representation on MAP teams, funding, data collection, referral of children to MAP teams and "A" teams, and training. The agreement shall be signed and in effect by July 1 of each year. SECTION 3. Section 43-14-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows: 43-14-3. In addition to the specific authority provided in Section 43-14-1, the powers and responsibilities of the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth shall be as follows: (a) To serve in an advisory capacity and to provide state level leadership and oversight to the development of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care; and (b) To insure the creation and availability of an annual pool of funds from each participating agency member of the ICCCY that includes the amount to be contributed by each agency and a process for utilization of those funds. SECTION 4. Section 43-14-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows: 43-14-5. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund into which shall be deposited all funds contributed by the Department of Human Services, Department of Child Protection Services, State Department of Health, Department of Mental Health and State Department of Rehabilitation Services insofar as recipients are otherwise eligible under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and State Department of Education for the operation of a statewide System of Care by MAP teams and "A" teams utilizing such funds as may be made available to those MAP teams through a Request for Proposal (RFP) approved by the ICCCY. SECTION 5. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in Chapter 14, Title 43, Mississippi Code of 1972. SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
1+MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2025 Regular Session To: Public Health and Welfare; Education By: Senator(s) Parker, Boyd, Williams Senate Bill 2597 AN ACT TITLED THE "MISSISSIPPI K-12 AND POSTSECONDARY MENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2025"; TO ESTABLISH AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (ICCCY); TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; TO SPECIFY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S COORDINATING RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO THE GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND INFORMATION COMPILED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 43-14-3 AND 43-14-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Act of 2025." (2) There is hereby established an Executive Committee of the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth (ICCCY), which shall include the following executive directors or administrators, or their designees, with experience in mental health, student performance or other relevant areas, from the ICCCY as provided in Section 43-14-1: (a) The State Superintendent of Public Education; (b) The Commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning; (c) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board; (d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; and (e) An employee of the Mississippi Department of Health, appointed by the State Health Officer, with relevant mental health experience. (3) The ICCCY Executive Committee shall have the following coordinating responsibilities related to the general mental health and well-being of children and adolescents: (a) Evaluating relevant personnel, including, but not limited to, school nurses, counselors and school psychologists, and examining the school's or district's relationship with its community mental health center or other private providers to recommend best practices for mental health resources and infrastructure for underperforming public schools or districts, as identified by the State Superintendent of Public Education; (b) Identifying key public school and district personnel and community college and university personnel, including, but not limited to, teachers, healthcare providers, counselors and resident assistants, to receive mental health first aid training that is evidence-based and approved by the Department of Mental Health; (c) Identifying and developing age-appropriate information and materials to distribute information regarding mental health and well-being at student orientations at public schools, universities and community colleges, or assemblies for parents and caretakers of students and other relevant members of the community who may interact with students; (d) Developing guidance for public schools and districts, universities and community colleges regarding age-appropriate mental health screening resources and other information for students, including 988 suicide and crisis hotline information; (e) Developing guidelines to help public schools and districts, universities and community colleges partner with community mental health centers, including crisis intervention teams, or private providers to provide services to students; (f) Compiling a master report by October 1, 2025, of all partially or fully state-funded programs related to improving the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The ICCCY Executive Committee, working together with other relevant agencies and organizations, shall be responsible for updating the report annually by October 1 of each year. The report shall be transmitted to the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Chair of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, the Chair of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Chair of the House Appropriations "A" Committee by November 1 each year; (g) Developing an internet-based mental health resource guide for public schools by August 1, 2025. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, public school districts shall include a visible mental health resource navigation link on the home page of their website to include the resource guide developed by the ICCCY Executive Committee; and (h) Engaging in other coordinated efforts from time to time in an effort to update resources and information related to mental health and well-being for students at public schools, universities and community colleges. (4) (a) All recommendations and information compiled by the executive committee shall be provided to the State Board of Education, State Institutions of Higher Learning and Mississippi Community College Board, as appropriate, which shall disseminate such information to relevant employees in public school districts, universities and community colleges. (b) All recommendations and information compiled by the executive committee shall also be provided to the ICCCY, Mississippi State Early Childhood Advisory Council, and any other agency, board, commission or council created by statute which the ICCCY Executive Committee identifies as relevant. SECTION 2. Section 43-14-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 43-14-1. (1) The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the development, implementation and oversight of a coordinated interagency system of necessary services and care for children and youth, called the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, up to age twenty-one (21) with serious emotional/behavioral disorders including, but not limited to, conduct disorders, or mental illness who require services from a multiple services and multiple programs system, and who can be successfully diverted from inappropriate institutional placement. The Mississippi Statewide System of Care is to be conducted in the most fiscally responsible (cost-efficient) manner possible, based on an individualized plan of care which takes into account other available interagency programs, including, but not limited to, Early Intervention Act of Infants and Toddlers, Section 41-87-1 et seq., Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment, Section 43-13-117(A)(5), waivered program for home- and community-based services for developmentally disabled people, Section 43-13-117(A)(29), and waivered program for targeted case management services for children with special needs, Section 43-13-117(A)(31), those children identified through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 as having a serious emotional disorder (EMD), the Mississippi Children's Health Insurance Program and waivered programs for children with serious emotional disturbances, Section 43-13-117(A)(46), and is tied to clinically and functionally appropriate outcomes. Some of the outcomes are to reduce the number of inappropriate out-of-home placements inclusive of those out-of-state and to reduce the number of inappropriate school suspensions and expulsions for this population of children. This coordinated interagency system of necessary services and care shall be named the Mississippi Statewide System of Care. Children to be served by this chapter who are eligible for Medicaid shall be screened through the Medicaid Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) and their needs for medically necessary services shall be certified through the EPSDT process. For purposes of this chapter, the Mississippi Statewide System of Care is defined as a coordinated network of agencies and providers working as a team to make a full range of mental health and other necessary services available as needed by children with mental health problems and their families. The Mississippi Statewide System of Care shall be: (a) Child centered, family focused, family driven and youth guided; (b) Community based; (c) Culturally competent and responsive; and shall provide for: (i) Service coordination or case management; (ii) Prevention and early identification and intervention; (iii) Smooth transitions among agencies and providers, and to the transition-age and adult service systems; (iv) Human rights protection and advocacy; (v) Nondiscrimination in access to services; (vi) A comprehensive array of services composed of treatment and informal supports that are identified as best practices and/or evidence-based practices; (vii) Individualized service planning that uses a strengths-based, wraparound process; (viii) Services in the least restrictive environment; (ix) Family participation in all aspects of planning, service delivery and evaluation; and (x) Integrated services with coordinated planning across child-serving agencies. Mississippi Statewide System of Care services shall be timely, intensive, coordinated and delivered in the community. Mississippi Statewide System of Care services shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) Comprehensive crisis and emergency response services; (b) Intensive case management; (c) Day treatment; (d) Alcohol and drug abuse group services for youth; (e) Individual, group and family therapy; (f) Respite services; (g) Supported employment services for youth; (h) Family education and support and family partners; (i) Youth development and support and youth partners; (j) Positive behavioral supports (PBIS) in schools; (k) Transition-age supported and independent living services; and (l) Vocational/technical education services for youth. (2) There is established the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth (hereinafter referred to as the "ICCCY"). The ICCCY shall consist of the following membership: (a) The State Superintendent of Public Education; (b) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; (c) The Executive Director of the State Department of Health; (d) The Executive Director of the Department of Human Services; (e) The Executive Director of the Division of Medicaid, Office of the Governor; (f) The Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services; (g) The Executive Director of Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc.; (h) The Commissioner of Child Protection Services; (i) The Attorney General; (j) A family member of a child or youth in the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies; (k) A youth or young adult in the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies; (l) A local MAP team coordinator designated by the Department of Mental Health; (m) A child psychiatrist experienced in the public mental health system designated by the Mississippi Psychiatric Association; (n) An individual with expertise and experience in early childhood education designated jointly by the Department of Mental Health and Mississippi Families as Allies; (o) A representative of an organization that advocates on behalf of disabled citizens in Mississippi designated by the Department of Mental Health; * * * and (p) A faculty member or dean from a Mississippi university specializing in training professionals who work in the Mississippi Statewide System of Care designated by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning * * *.; (q) The Commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning; (r) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board; and (s) An employee of the Mississippi Department of Health, appointed by the State Health Officer, with relevant mental health experience. If a member of the council designates a representative to attend council meetings, the designee shall bring full decision-making authority of the member to the meeting. The council shall select a chairman, who shall serve for a one-year term and may not serve consecutive terms. The council shall adopt internal organizational procedures necessary for efficient operation of the council. Each member of the council shall designate necessary staff of their departments to assist the ICCCY in performing its duties and responsibilities. The ICCCY shall meet and conduct business at least twice annually. The chairman of the ICCCY shall notify all ICCCY members and all other persons who request such notice as to the date, time, place and draft agenda items for each meeting. (3) The Interagency System of Care Council (ISCC) is created to serve as the state management team for the ICCCY, with the responsibility of collecting and analyzing data and funding strategies necessary to improve the operation of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, and to make recommendations to the ICCCY and to the Legislature concerning such strategies on, at a minimum, an annual basis. The System of Care Council also has the responsibility of coordinating the local Multidisciplinary Assessment and Planning (MAP) teams and "A" teams and may apply for grants from public and private sources necessary to carry out its responsibilities. The Interagency System of Care Council shall be comprised of one (1) member from each of the appropriate child-serving divisions or sections of the State Department of Health, the Department of Human Services (Division of Youth Services), the Department of Child Protection Services, the State Department of Mental Health (Division of Children and Youth, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), the State Department of Education (Office of Special Education and Office of Healthy Schools), the Division of Medicaid of the Governor's Office, the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Attorney General's office. Additional members shall include a family member of a child, youth or transition-age youth representing a family education and support 501(c)(3) organization, working with the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies, an individual with expertise and experience in early childhood education designated jointly by the Department of Mental Health and Mississippi Families as Allies, a local MAP team representative and a local "A" team representative designated by the Department of Mental Health, a probation officer designated by the Department of Corrections, a family member and youth or young adult designated by Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc., (MSFAA), and a family member other than a MSFAA representative to be designated by the Department of Mental Health and the Director of the Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement of the State Department of Education. Appointments to the Interagency System of Care Council shall be made within sixty (60) days after June 30, 2010. The council shall organize by selecting a chairman from its membership to serve on an annual basis, and the chairman may not serve consecutive terms. (4) (a) As part of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, there is established a statewide system of local Multidisciplinary Assessment, Planning and Resource (MAP) teams. The MAP teams shall be comprised of one (1) representative each at the county level from the major child-serving public agencies for education, human services, health, mental health and rehabilitative services approved by respective state agencies of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Child Protection Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. These agencies shall, by policy, contract or regulation require participation on MAP teams and "A" teams at the county level by the appropriate staff. Three (3) additional members may be added to each team, one (1) of which may be a representative of a family education/support 501(c)(3) organization with statewide recognition and specifically established for the population of children defined in Section 43-14-1. The remaining members will be representatives of significant community-level stakeholders with resources that can benefit the population of children defined in Section 43-14-1. The Department of Education shall assist in recruiting and identifying parents to participate on MAP teams and "A" teams. (b) For each local existing MAP team that is established pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection, there shall also be established an "A" (Adolescent) team which shall work with a MAP team. The "A" teams shall provide System of Care services for youthful offenders who have serious behavioral or emotional disorders. Each "A" team shall be comprised of, at a minimum, the following five (5) members: (i) A school counselor, mental health therapist or social worker; (ii) A community mental health professional; (iii) A social services/child welfare professional; (iv) A youth court counselor; and (v) A parent who had a child in the juvenile justice system. (c) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth and the Interagency System of Care Council shall work to develop MAP teams statewide that will serve to become the single point of entry for children and youth about to be placed in out-of-home care for reasons other than parental abuse/neglect. (5) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth may provide input to one another and to the ISCC relative to how each agency utilizes its federal and state statutes, policy requirements and funding streams to identify and/or serve children and youth in the population defined in this section. The ICCCY shall support the implementation of the plans of the respective state agencies for comprehensive, community-based, multidisciplinary care, treatment and placement of these children. (6) The ICCCY shall oversee a pool of state funds that may be contributed by each participating state agency and additional funds from the Mississippi Tobacco Health Care Expenditure Fund, subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature. Part of this pool of funds shall be available for increasing the present funding levels by matching Medicaid funds in order to increase the existing resources available for necessary community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries. (7) The local interagency coordinating care MAP team or "A" team will facilitate the development of the individualized System of Care programs for the population targeted in this section. (8) Each local MAP team and "A" team shall serve as the single point of entry and re-entry to ensure that comprehensive diagnosis and assessment occur and shall coordinate needed services through the local MAP team and "A" team members and local service providers for the children named in subsection (1). Local children in crisis shall have first priority for access to the MAP team and "A" team processes and local System of Care services. (9) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth shall facilitate monitoring of the performance of local MAP teams. (10) Each ICCCY member named in subsection (2) of this section shall enter into a binding memorandum of understanding to participate in the further development and oversight of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care for the children and youth described in this section. The agreement shall outline the system responsibilities in all operational areas, including ensuring representation on MAP teams, funding, data collection, referral of children to MAP teams and "A" teams, and training. The agreement shall be signed and in effect by July 1 of each year. SECTION 3. Section 43-14-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows: 43-14-3. In addition to the specific authority provided in Section 43-14-1, the powers and responsibilities of the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth shall be as follows: (a) To serve in an advisory capacity and to provide state level leadership and oversight to the development of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care; and (b) To insure the creation and availability of an annual pool of funds from each participating agency member of the ICCCY that includes the amount to be contributed by each agency and a process for utilization of those funds. SECTION 4. Section 43-14-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows: 43-14-5. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund into which shall be deposited all funds contributed by the Department of Human Services, Department of Child Protection Services, State Department of Health, Department of Mental Health and State Department of Rehabilitation Services insofar as recipients are otherwise eligible under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and State Department of Education for the operation of a statewide System of Care by MAP teams and "A" teams utilizing such funds as may be made available to those MAP teams through a Request for Proposal (RFP) approved by the ICCCY. SECTION 5. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in Chapter 14, Title 43, Mississippi Code of 1972. SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
22
33 MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
44
55 2025 Regular Session
66
7-To: Education
7+To: Public Health and Welfare; Education
88
99 By: Senator(s) Parker, Boyd, Williams
1010
1111 # Senate Bill 2597
12-
13-## (As Passed the Senate)
1412
1513 AN ACT TITLED THE "MISSISSIPPI K-12 AND POSTSECONDARY MENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2025"; TO ESTABLISH AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (ICCCY); TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; TO SPECIFY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S COORDINATING RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO THE GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND INFORMATION COMPILED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 43-14-3 AND 43-14-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
1614
1715 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
1816
1917 SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Act of 2025."
2018
2119 (2) There is hereby established an Executive Committee of the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth (ICCCY), which shall include the following executive directors or administrators, or their designees, with experience in mental health, student performance or other relevant areas, from the ICCCY as provided in Section 43-14-1:
2220
2321 (a) The State Superintendent of Public Education;
2422
2523 (b) The Commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning;
2624
2725 (c) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board;
2826
2927 (d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health; and
3028
3129 (e) An employee of the Mississippi Department of Health, appointed by the State Health Officer, with relevant mental health experience.
3230
3331 (3) The ICCCY Executive Committee shall have the following coordinating responsibilities related to the general mental health and well-being of children and adolescents:
3432
3533 (a) Evaluating relevant personnel, including, but not limited to, school nurses, counselors and school psychologists, and examining the school's or district's relationship with its community mental health center or other private providers to recommend best practices for mental health resources and infrastructure for underperforming public schools or districts, as identified by the State Superintendent of Public Education;
3634
3735 (b) Identifying key public school and district personnel and community college and university personnel, including, but not limited to, teachers, healthcare providers, counselors and resident assistants, to receive mental health first aid training that is evidence-based and approved by the Department of Mental Health;
3836
3937 (c) Identifying and developing age-appropriate information and materials to distribute information regarding mental health and well-being at student orientations at public schools, universities and community colleges, or assemblies for parents and caretakers of students and other relevant members of the community who may interact with students;
4038
4139 (d) Developing guidance for public schools and districts, universities and community colleges regarding age-appropriate mental health screening resources and other information for students, including 988 suicide and crisis hotline information;
4240
4341 (e) Developing guidelines to help public schools and districts, universities and community colleges partner with community mental health centers, including crisis intervention teams, or private providers to provide services to students;
4442
4543 (f) Compiling a master report by October 1, 2025, of all partially or fully state-funded programs related to improving the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The ICCCY Executive Committee, working together with other relevant agencies and organizations, shall be responsible for updating the report annually by October 1 of each year. The report shall be transmitted to the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Chair of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, the Chair of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Chair of the House Appropriations "A" Committee by November 1 each year;
4644
4745 (g) Developing an internet-based mental health resource guide for public schools by August 1, 2025. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, public school districts shall include a visible mental health resource navigation link on the home page of their website to include the resource guide developed by the ICCCY Executive Committee; and
4846
4947 (h) Engaging in other coordinated efforts from time to time in an effort to update resources and information related to mental health and well-being for students at public schools, universities and community colleges.
5048
5149 (4) (a) All recommendations and information compiled by the executive committee shall be provided to the State Board of Education, State Institutions of Higher Learning and Mississippi Community College Board, as appropriate, which shall disseminate such information to relevant employees in public school districts, universities and community colleges.
5250
5351 (b) All recommendations and information compiled by the executive committee shall also be provided to the ICCCY, Mississippi State Early Childhood Advisory Council, and any other agency, board, commission or council created by statute which the ICCCY Executive Committee identifies as relevant.
5452
5553 SECTION 2. Section 43-14-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
5654
5755 43-14-1. (1) The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the development, implementation and oversight of a coordinated interagency system of necessary services and care for children and youth, called the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, up to age twenty-one (21) with serious emotional/behavioral disorders including, but not limited to, conduct disorders, or mental illness who require services from a multiple services and multiple programs system, and who can be successfully diverted from inappropriate institutional placement. The Mississippi Statewide System of Care is to be conducted in the most fiscally responsible (cost-efficient) manner possible, based on an individualized plan of care which takes into account other available interagency programs, including, but not limited to, Early Intervention Act of Infants and Toddlers, Section 41-87-1 et seq., Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment, Section 43-13-117(A)(5), waivered program for home- and community-based services for developmentally disabled people, Section 43-13-117(A)(29), and waivered program for targeted case management services for children with special needs, Section 43-13-117(A)(31), those children identified through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 as having a serious emotional disorder (EMD), the Mississippi Children's Health Insurance Program and waivered programs for children with serious emotional disturbances, Section 43-13-117(A)(46), and is tied to clinically and functionally appropriate outcomes. Some of the outcomes are to reduce the number of inappropriate out-of-home placements inclusive of those out-of-state and to reduce the number of inappropriate school suspensions and expulsions for this population of children. This coordinated interagency system of necessary services and care shall be named the Mississippi Statewide System of Care. Children to be served by this chapter who are eligible for Medicaid shall be screened through the Medicaid Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) and their needs for medically necessary services shall be certified through the EPSDT process. For purposes of this chapter, the Mississippi Statewide System of Care is defined as a coordinated network of agencies and providers working as a team to make a full range of mental health and other necessary services available as needed by children with mental health problems and their families. The Mississippi Statewide System of Care shall be:
5856
5957 (a) Child centered, family focused, family driven and youth guided;
6058
6159 (b) Community based;
6260
6361 (c) Culturally competent and responsive; and shall provide for:
6462
6563 (i) Service coordination or case management;
6664
6765 (ii) Prevention and early identification and intervention;
6866
6967 (iii) Smooth transitions among agencies and providers, and to the transition-age and adult service systems;
7068
7169 (iv) Human rights protection and advocacy;
7270
7371 (v) Nondiscrimination in access to services;
7472
7573 (vi) A comprehensive array of services composed of treatment and informal supports that are identified as best practices and/or evidence-based practices;
7674
7775 (vii) Individualized service planning that uses a strengths-based, wraparound process;
7876
7977 (viii) Services in the least restrictive environment;
8078
8179 (ix) Family participation in all aspects of planning, service delivery and evaluation; and
8280
8381 (x) Integrated services with coordinated planning across child-serving agencies.
8482
8583 Mississippi Statewide System of Care services shall be timely, intensive, coordinated and delivered in the community. Mississippi Statewide System of Care services shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
8684
8785 (a) Comprehensive crisis and emergency response services;
8886
8987 (b) Intensive case management;
9088
9189 (c) Day treatment;
9290
9391 (d) Alcohol and drug abuse group services for youth;
9492
9593 (e) Individual, group and family therapy;
9694
9795 (f) Respite services;
9896
9997 (g) Supported employment services for youth;
10098
10199 (h) Family education and support and family partners;
102100
103101 (i) Youth development and support and youth partners;
104102
105103 (j) Positive behavioral supports (PBIS) in schools;
106104
107105 (k) Transition-age supported and independent living services; and
108106
109107 (l) Vocational/technical education services for youth.
110108
111109 (2) There is established the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth (hereinafter referred to as the "ICCCY"). The ICCCY shall consist of the following membership: (a) The State Superintendent of Public Education;
112110
113111 (b) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health;
114112
115113 (c) The Executive Director of the State Department of Health;
116114
117115 (d) The Executive Director of the Department of Human Services;
118116
119117 (e) The Executive Director of the Division of Medicaid, Office of the Governor;
120118
121119 (f) The Executive Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation Services;
122120
123121 (g) The Executive Director of Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc.;
124122
125123 (h) The Commissioner of Child Protection Services;
126124
127125 (i) The Attorney General;
128126
129127 (j) A family member of a child or youth in the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies;
130128
131129 (k) A youth or young adult in the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies;
132130
133131 (l) A local MAP team coordinator designated by the Department of Mental Health;
134132
135133 (m) A child psychiatrist experienced in the public mental health system designated by the Mississippi Psychiatric Association;
136134
137135 (n) An individual with expertise and experience in early childhood education designated jointly by the Department of Mental Health and Mississippi Families as Allies;
138136
139137 (o) A representative of an organization that advocates on behalf of disabled citizens in Mississippi designated by the Department of Mental Health; * * * and
140138
141139 (p) A faculty member or dean from a Mississippi university specializing in training professionals who work in the Mississippi Statewide System of Care designated by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning * * *.;
142140
143141 (q) The Commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning;
144142
145143 (r) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board; and
146144
147145 (s) An employee of the Mississippi Department of Health, appointed by the State Health Officer, with relevant mental health experience.
148146
149147 If a member of the council designates a representative to attend council meetings, the designee shall bring full decision-making authority of the member to the meeting. The council shall select a chairman, who shall serve for a one-year term and may not serve consecutive terms. The council shall adopt internal organizational procedures necessary for efficient operation of the council. Each member of the council shall designate necessary staff of their departments to assist the ICCCY in performing its duties and responsibilities. The ICCCY shall meet and conduct business at least twice annually. The chairman of the ICCCY shall notify all ICCCY members and all other persons who request such notice as to the date, time, place and draft agenda items for each meeting.
150148
151149 (3) The Interagency System of Care Council (ISCC) is created to serve as the state management team for the ICCCY, with the responsibility of collecting and analyzing data and funding strategies necessary to improve the operation of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, and to make recommendations to the ICCCY and to the Legislature concerning such strategies on, at a minimum, an annual basis. The System of Care Council also has the responsibility of coordinating the local Multidisciplinary Assessment and Planning (MAP) teams and "A" teams and may apply for grants from public and private sources necessary to carry out its responsibilities. The Interagency System of Care Council shall be comprised of one (1) member from each of the appropriate child-serving divisions or sections of the State Department of Health, the Department of Human Services (Division of Youth Services), the Department of Child Protection Services, the State Department of Mental Health (Division of Children and Youth, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), the State Department of Education (Office of Special Education and Office of Healthy Schools), the Division of Medicaid of the Governor's Office, the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Attorney General's office. Additional members shall include a family member of a child, youth or transition-age youth representing a family education and support 501(c)(3) organization, working with the population named in this chapter designated by Mississippi Families as Allies, an individual with expertise and experience in early childhood education designated jointly by the Department of Mental Health and Mississippi Families as Allies, a local MAP team representative and a local "A" team representative designated by the Department of Mental Health, a probation officer designated by the Department of Corrections, a family member and youth or young adult designated by Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc., (MSFAA), and a family member other than a MSFAA representative to be designated by the Department of Mental Health and the Director of the Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement of the State Department of Education. Appointments to the Interagency System of Care Council shall be made within sixty (60) days after June 30, 2010. The council shall organize by selecting a chairman from its membership to serve on an annual basis, and the chairman may not serve consecutive terms.
152150
153151 (4) (a) As part of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care, there is established a statewide system of local Multidisciplinary Assessment, Planning and Resource (MAP) teams. The MAP teams shall be comprised of one (1) representative each at the county level from the major child-serving public agencies for education, human services, health, mental health and rehabilitative services approved by respective state agencies of the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Child Protection Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. These agencies shall, by policy, contract or regulation require participation on MAP teams and "A" teams at the county level by the appropriate staff. Three (3) additional members may be added to each team, one (1) of which may be a representative of a family education/support 501(c)(3) organization with statewide recognition and specifically established for the population of children defined in Section 43-14-1. The remaining members will be representatives of significant community-level stakeholders with resources that can benefit the population of children defined in Section 43-14-1. The Department of Education shall assist in recruiting and identifying parents to participate on MAP teams and "A" teams.
154152
155153 (b) For each local existing MAP team that is established pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection, there
156154
157155 shall also be established an "A" (Adolescent) team which shall work with a MAP team. The "A" teams shall provide System of Care services for youthful offenders who have serious behavioral or emotional disorders. Each "A" team shall be comprised of, at a minimum, the following five (5) members:
158156
159157 (i) A school counselor, mental health therapist or social worker;
160158
161159 (ii) A community mental health professional;
162160
163161 (iii) A social services/child welfare professional;
164162
165163 (iv) A youth court counselor; and
166164
167165 (v) A parent who had a child in the juvenile justice system.
168166
169167 (c) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth and the Interagency System of Care Council shall work to develop MAP teams statewide that will serve to become the single point of entry for children and youth about to be placed in out-of-home care for reasons other than parental abuse/neglect.
170168
171169 (5) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth may provide input to one another and to the ISCC relative to how each agency utilizes its federal and state statutes, policy requirements and funding streams to identify and/or serve children and youth in the population defined in this section. The ICCCY shall support the implementation of the plans of the respective state agencies for comprehensive, community-based, multidisciplinary care, treatment and placement of these children.
172170
173171 (6) The ICCCY shall oversee a pool of state funds that may be contributed by each participating state agency and additional funds from the Mississippi Tobacco Health Care Expenditure Fund, subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature. Part of this pool of funds shall be available for increasing the present funding levels by matching Medicaid funds in order to increase the existing resources available for necessary community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries.
174172
175173 (7) The local interagency coordinating care MAP team or "A" team will facilitate the development of the individualized System of Care programs for the population targeted in this section.
176174
177175 (8) Each local MAP team and "A" team shall serve as the single point of entry and re-entry to ensure that comprehensive diagnosis and assessment occur and shall coordinate needed services through the local MAP team and "A" team members and local service providers for the children named in subsection (1). Local children in crisis shall have first priority for access to the MAP team and "A" team processes and local System of Care services.
178176
179177 (9) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth shall facilitate monitoring of the performance of local MAP teams.
180178
181179 (10) Each ICCCY member named in subsection (2) of this section shall enter into a binding memorandum of understanding to participate in the further development and oversight of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care for the children and youth described in this section. The agreement shall outline the system responsibilities in all operational areas, including ensuring representation on MAP teams, funding, data collection, referral of children to MAP teams and "A" teams, and training. The agreement shall be signed and in effect by July 1 of each year.
182180
183181 SECTION 3. Section 43-14-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
184182
185183 43-14-3. In addition to the specific authority provided in Section 43-14-1, the powers and responsibilities of the Interagency Coordinating Council for Children and Youth shall be as follows:
186184
187185 (a) To serve in an advisory capacity and to provide state level leadership and oversight to the development of the Mississippi Statewide System of Care; and
188186
189187 (b) To insure the creation and availability of an annual pool of funds from each participating agency member of the ICCCY that includes the amount to be contributed by each agency and a process for utilization of those funds.
190188
191189 SECTION 4. Section 43-14-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
192190
193191 43-14-5. There is created in the State Treasury a special fund into which shall be deposited all funds contributed by the Department of Human Services, Department of Child Protection Services, State Department of Health, Department of Mental Health and State Department of Rehabilitation Services insofar as recipients are otherwise eligible under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and State Department of Education for the operation of a statewide System of Care by MAP teams and "A" teams utilizing such funds as may be made available to those MAP teams through a Request for Proposal (RFP) approved by the ICCCY.
194192
195193 SECTION 5. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in Chapter 14, Title 43, Mississippi Code of 1972.
196194
197195 SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.