State agencies say planned 988 technology platform is paused after legislature declines implementation funding

Michelle Roberts, executive sponsor for the state’s crisis system work, told the CRIS Committee that the proposed statewide technology platform to support 988 is paused because “there's not, funding at this moment to take that technology system from planning to implementation.” Agencies said they will archive planning materials so the project can be resumed if future funding becomes available.

Tisha (CRIS host) and other agency staff emphasized that this pause applies only to the future technology platform; operational elements of the crisis system remain prioritized in the budget. Roberts said lawmakers preserved funding for core services, including contact centers, mobile teams and a CCBHC demonstration grant, and urged partners to continue quality‑improvement work even without the new platform.

Committee members and participants asked about specific cost or timeline details; staff said implementation has been suspended as of July 1 for lack of appropriation and that additional information about how cuts will be operationalized will be provided in future meetings. Bonnie (staff) and other agency leads offered to share archived planning documents and described steps to ensure the system’s planning inputs are preserved for a later restart.

The committee noted the loss of planned technical investments could slow long‑term data sharing goals, but staff highlighted that immediate crisis services funded by the legislature will continue to operate.