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2020 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB5005 (Conference Report)

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Restore Language on Delaying STEP-VA (language only)

Item 322 #1c

Item 322 #1c

Health and Human Resources
Grants to Localities

Language

Page 148, after line 17, insert:

"NN. Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapters 607 and 683, 2017 Acts of Assembly, no Community Services Board or Behavioral Health Authority shall be required to provide any service pursuant to the System Transformation, Excellence and Performance in Virginia (STEP-VA) process, beyond those services funded in Chapter 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly. Any new service requirements shall be subject to appropriation and allotment of funds for that purpose."



Explanation

(This amendment restores language that was inadvertently stricken in the introduced budget which eliminates the requirement that Community Services Boards or Behavioral Health Authority provide STEP-VA services beyond those that are funded in Chapter 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly, unless an appropriation is available and an allotment of funds is made. The budget passed in March provided additional funding outpatient services, peer support services, expanded crisis services and military and veteran’s mental health services through STEP-VA, and when funding was unallotted in April due to the pandemic language was added eliminating the requirement to proceed with implementation of these services. The introduced budget eliminates funding for these additional services through STEP-VA. While companion amendments restore funding for STEP-VA in Item 482.20, this language is included in case of unforeseen future revenue and spending adjustments. It is the intent of the General Assembly that this item be set out upon enrolling.)