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An Act To Expand Geropsychiatric Facility Capacity
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. Department of Health and Human Services to expand geropsychiatric beds. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 333-A, the Department of Health and Human Services shall increase the number of geropsychiatric beds in the State by up to 25 beds. The Department of Health and Human Services may determine whether the new beds are nursing facility beds, private nonmedical institution beds or a combination of both. The beds must be made available in areas that are currently underserved in the State, including at least some of the beds to be available in the northern part of the State.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS)
 
Nursing Facilities 0148
 
Initiative: Provides funding to increase the number of geropsychiatric beds in the State by up to 25 beds.

GENERAL FUND	2015-16	2016-17	
All Other	$0	$1,192,227	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$1,192,227	

FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND	2015-16	2016-17	
All Other	$0	$2,001,523	
			
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL	$0	$2,001,523	

SUMMARY
This bill, which is a recommendation of the Commission To Study Difficult-to-place Patients, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to increase the number of geropsychiatric beds by up to 25 beds. The beds may be in nursing facilities, private nonmedical institutions or a combination of both. The beds must be made available in underserved parts of the State, some specifically to be made available in the northern part of the State. The beds are funded and therefore are exempt from MaineCare budget neutrality provisions.