Resolve, To Improve Access to Emergency Behavioral Health Services and Increase Public Safety
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1594
Committee Amendment CA_A_H683 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A " 
to H.P. 1165, L.D. 1594, "Resolve, To 
Improve Access to Emergency Behavioral Health Services and Increase Public Safety" 
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Review and Make Recommendations on Challenges, Gaps and 
Inefficiencies in Maine's Emergency Crisis Hotline and "Warm Line" Services' 
Amend the resolve by striking out everything after the title and before the summary 
and inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, it is imperative for the welfare of persons experiencing a crisis in their 
lives that the Department of Health and Human Services immediately convene a working 
group to review the provision of emergency crisis hotline and so-called warm line 
services and to make recommendations for improvements in service; and 
Whereas, the working group must begin its work before the 90-day period expires 
in order that the working group may submit its findings and recommendations to the 
Department of Health and Human Services no later than November 4,2014; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it 
Sec. 1. Working group on emergency crisis hotline and "warm line" 
services. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services, refelTed to in 
this resolve as "the department," shall convene a working group by April 1, 2014 to 
review and make recommendations on challenges, gaps and inefficiencies in the State's 
emergency crisis hotline and "warm line" services, refelTed to in this resolve as 
"emergency crisis telephone services." 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "toR.P. 1165,L.D.1594 
1. 
Invitation to participate. 
The department shall invite the partlclpation of 
providers of current crisis telephone services, representatives of agencies that advocate 
for persons with disabilities, consumers of emergency crisis telephone services and their 
families, representatives of the law enforcement community, representatives of the 
department, representatives of health care providers and representatives of emergency 
medical services agencies. A majority of the working group must be consumers of 
emergency crisis telephone services. The chair of the working group must be a consumer 
of emergency crisis telephone services. 
2. 
Goal. 
The working group shall, in its review and recommendations under 
subsection 3, keep as the central focus the goal of ensuring that emergency crisis 
telephone services are available statewide without interruption every day of the year in a 
manner that provides easy access for consumers and that is consistent across the State. 
3. Duties. The working group shall perform a review and make recommendations as 
follows: 
A. Review the current system for emergency crisis telephone services, identifying 
challenges, gaps and inefficiencies in the current system from the perspectives of 
consumers and their families, health care personnel, law enforcement and providers 
of emergency crisis telephone services; 
B. Review the report entitled "Peer and Crisis Services" prepared by the Consumer 
Council System of Maine for the office of substance abuse and mental health services 
within the department and incorporate suggestions from the report, as detennined to 
be appropriate, regarding the emergency crisis telephone system in the working 
group's report under this subsection; 
C. Review the benefits and costs of a single easily identifiable telephone number and 
triage and dispatch system that is implemented and publicized by consumers in order 
to minimize unnecessary use of the emergency departments of hospitals, provide the 
most appropriate services in the most appropriate settings and use appropriate 
community-based services; 
D. Make recommendations for emergency crisis telephone services that achieve the 
goal outlined in subsection 2 and use savings achieved by eliminating duplicative 
services to pay for the emergency crisis telephone services and staff; and 
E. Determine the necessary staffing and qualifications of staff for each component of 
the recommended emergency crisis telephone services. 
Upon completion of its duties under this subsection, the working group shall submit a 
report with its findings and recommendations to the department. 
4. 
Report. 
The department shall issue a report based on the findings and 
recommendations of the working group, together with any necessary legislation, to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by November 4,2014 or by the 
date that the department issues a new request for proposals for emergency crisis 
telephone services during 2014, whichever date comes first. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited m the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "R "to H.P. 1165, L.D. 1594 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. This amendment replaces 
the resolve with a resolve directing the Department of Health and Human Services to 
convene a working group. The working group is required to review the current system 
for emergency crisis hotline and so-called warm line services and review the report 
entitled "Peer and Crisis Services" prepared by the Consumer Council System of Maine 
for the department's office of substance abuse and mental health services and incorporate 
suggestions from the report in the working group's findings and recommendations. The 
working group is required to review the benefits and costs of a single easily identifiable 
telephone number and triage and dispatch system, make recommendations for emergency 
crisis services hotlinc and "warm line" services and determine the necessary staffing. The 
working group is also required to report its findings and recommendations to the 
department, and the department is required to report those findings and recommendations, 
together with any necessary legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and 
Human Services by November 4, 2014 or by the date that the department issues a new 
request for proposals for emergency crisis services in 2014, whichever date comes first. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/06114 
. ;Wac 
LD 1594 
LR 2534(02) 
Resolve, To Improve Access to Emergency Behavioral Health Services and Increase Public Safety 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'If CH -/P 8 3\ 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Y 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs for the Department of Health and Human Services are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing 
budgeted resources. 
LR2534(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1