Senate transfers forensic mental-health committee duties to state advisory council

Senators passed First Substitute House Bill 23, which transfers the responsibilities of the stateforensic mental health coordinating committee to the Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council and adds the superintendent of the Utah State Hospital to the council.

Senator Kennedy, who presented the bill, said the council would study long-term needs of the state hospital and advise the Department of Health and Human Services on those needs. "First substitute house bill 23 takes the duties of the forensic mental health coordinating count committee and moves them to the Utah substance use and mental health advisory council," Kennedy said during the floor presentation.

There were no questions from the floor. Under suspension of the rules, the Senate voted to pass the bill; the roll-call recorded 26 yea votes, 0 nay votes and 3 absent. The bill will be returned to the House for the Speaker's signature.

The change moves policy oversight responsibilities from a stand-alone coordinating committee into an existing statewide advisory body and explicitly adds the Utah State Hospital superintendent to that advisory council. Further administrative details and any required rulemaking will be handled by the Department of Health and Human Services and the named advisory council.

The Senate returned the measure to the House for further action; no additional floor amendments were recorded.