SB 252 COUNTY & TRIBAL HEALTH COUNCIL CHANGES

Sen Pete Campos

Actions: [4] SCC/SIRC/SHPAC-SCC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 SB252 renames County and Tribal Health Councils to the Regional Council and Access Act and Councils.. New duties are defined in SB252 including reporting and cooperation with other entities. There will be five different councils.  

 Synopsis: SB 252 modifies the County and Tribal Health Councils Act by changing the name of the County and Tribal Health Council Act to Regional Health Council and Access Act. Also, providing for regional health councils and establishing duties of regional health Councils.
Analysis: Senate Bill 252 (SB 252) creates the Regional Health Care and Access Act and Councils. New language states that Regional Health Council “means one of five councils established within the Albuquerque metropolitan area and within the northwest, northeast, southeast and southwest quadrants of the state with borders defined by the Department. Department means the Department of Health. Also, the Navajo Nation is added along with other tribal groups.
Responsibilities are added under SB 252 to read: A regional health council shall prepare a regional health plan with recommendations for improving regional health care access. The plan shall be updated annually and be reported to the Department, the State Budget Division of the Department of Finance and Administration, the Legislative Finance Committee and the Governor's Office before September 1 of each year.
Each regional health plan shall include: (1) an assessment of health care needs within the regional health council's borders, including: (a) identification of high-need health care services based on national benchmarks and nationally recognized best practices for determining service gaps; (b) wait times to make an appointment to receive health services deemed high need by the regional health council; and (c) average driving distances for residents residing within the regional health council's borders; (2) evidence-based recommendations to improve health care access; (3) evidence-based recommendations to increase the health care workforce for high-need professions and services; (4) a five-year strategic plan to improve health outcomes; (5) identification of infrastructure needs; (6) selection of performance measures to monitor health care access, services and quality; (7) a plan for collecting performance measure data; and (8) a request for funding the recommendations included within the regional health plan that takes into account local and federal funding sources. 
A regional health council shall: (1) collaborate with other entities to develop programs, networks, partnerships, and coalitions as necessary to improve health. (2) advise boards within its jurisdiction and other entities regarding policies that affect health; (3) facilitate communication among local jurisdictions, state agencies and other entities; and (4) identify additional public and private resources to improve health in its respective jurisdiction.
The effective date of this Act wi;; be July 1, 2024.