Iowa House passes Kim Reynolds' bill to overhaul mental health, disability services

Iowa House lawmakers have approved a plan to overhaul the state's mental health and disability service systems, sending one of Gov. Kim Reynolds' priority pieces of legislation to the Senate.

House File 2673 merges 32 local regions charged with overseeing mental health and substance abuse treatment into seven unified districts, while placing disability services under the jurisdiction of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

The bill passed the House Tuesday on a vote of 88-6. If unchanged and approved by the Senate, it will go to Reynolds' desk for her signature.

The proposal, another step in the governor's yearslong blueprint to reshape Iowa state government, aims to improve a system that both state officials and advocates agree is badly fractured.

"This bill brings to fruition the final piece, in my mind, of our behavioral health redesign that we started many years ago here at the Statehouse," said Rep. Joel Fry, R-Osceola.

Some advocates, who have requested further details on the overhaul, are concerned that key services and programs — including one that links mental health services with police, where crisis intervention experts step in to respond to mental health-related calls, rather than law enforcement officers alone — could be disrupted as the system transitions.

"Anytime a system changes, we worry most about the people we are serving, our employees and the need to maintain the continuity of care to our clients," Flora Schmidt, executive director of the Iowa Behavioral Health Association, previously told the Register.

Each of the new districts would be governed by a state-appointed entity — either a public or private group — and advised by a 10-person council of elected officials, local constituents, health professionals and law enforcement.

More: Kim Reynolds has released her plan to restructure Iowa's mental health systems. Here's what it says:

New system would aim for 'equitable statewide access,' repeal Commission on Aging

House lawmakers made several tweaks to Reynolds' original proposal, including a requirement that the system provide "specialized services with a focus on at-risk populations." That includes children, individuals with disabilities, older adults, pregnant women and low-income people, according to the bill.

Youth would also have representation on each health district's advisory council, under changes made to the plan. One member of the 10-person council would represent children and adolescents; a law enforcement representative would also sit on each council.

More: Nervous advocates worry that Iowa's mental health overhaul could leave some without care

For-profit private groups would also be allowed to serve as the governing entity for a district under an amendment unanimously approved by the House Tuesday. Previously, the bill allowed only public or private nonprofit groups to be appointed.

The bill would repeal several boards and commissions, including the state's Commission on Aging, which serves as the policymaking body for programs serving senior Iowans, and replaces it with a new Council on Health and Human Services.

Michaela Ramm contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at [email protected]m or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa House OKs Kim Reynolds' mental health overhaul plan