DMHSAS has amended a bill in a conference committee report to allow the agency to close or privatize any state operated facility. The bill has passed the House. The last chance to stop this stealth move by the agency to close essential services is to call senators today.
HB 2999 (Steele, Crain) amends the section in Title 43A listing Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services' facilities from "shall be maintained for residents of the state" to "may be maintained for residents of the state." This allows DMHSAS to close or privatize any or all of their 12 facilities without legislative oversight.
HB 2999 must be stopped in the Senate!
Call Senators today 405-524-0126 or 800-865-6490
Tell them to VOTE NO on HB 2999.
The legislature established the requirement in statute delineating DMHSAS facilities to ensure the state's safety net for essential services "shall be maintained" and amendments would be deliberated by state policymakers, not an individual non-elected official.
DMHSAS should inform the legislature their intent to close or privatize individual facilities, allowing the proposal to be debated by policymakers. If HB 2999 is passed, the agency will be allowed to close essential mental health and substance abuse services without proper debate in the public forum of the legislative session.
The Department of Corrections has a similar statute in Title 57 listing state operated institutions and community corrections centers. This statute has been amended approximately 16 times to add facilities after debate and discussion in the legislature. DMHSAS should tell the legislature their plans and should not be given carte blanche to close or privatize essential services without legislative oversight.
Posted on
Tue, May 18, 2010
by Trish Frazier