MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH

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MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH

• Milestones
• 81st Legislative Session

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El Paso/Fort Bliss
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(No Transcript)
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The Life (and untimely death)of SB 1030

• Due to the unprecedented growth of the military
  population in the region, The El Paso Legislative
  Delegation made a commitment to passing Military
  Mental Health Legislation

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Legislative Involvement

• June 2008
• Senator Eliot Shapleigh calls on
• El Paso MHMR to testify at a
• House Veterans Affairs
• Subcommittee hearing.

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Commitment to

• El Paso MHMR worked closely the senators staff
  to research and write the legislation that would
  eventually become SB 1030
• As Vice Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee,
  Sen. Shapleigh was in an ideal position to push
  legislation through

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SB 1030 Overview

• Funding for Service members and their families
  who do not access the Federal government mental
  health services
• Funding for nontraditional services such as
  peer-to-peer counseling

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Legislative Process

• Filing of Senate Bill
• Fiscal Note
• Senate Committee Hearing
• Committee action
• Passage by the Senate
• House Sponsor for companion bill
• Filling of House Bill
• Fiscal Note
• House Committee Hearing
• Committee Action
• Passage by the House
• Reconciliation of Senate and House bill
• Signature by Governor

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Legislative Barriers

• Fiscal Note negotiations
• Competing Legislation
• SB 1030 is folded into SB 1648
• Amendments in committee
• The search for a house companion (HB 1218)
• Morph into pilot legislation
• The clock runs out

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Lessons Learned

• Get out of the Gate early
• Communicate with delegation often
• Be prepared to compromise
• Expand your sphere of influence
• Find allies
• GET ORGANIZED

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Next Step for El Paso MHMR

• Continuing outreaching to legislators in
  preparation for 82nd Legislative Session
• Even though we did not receive additional funding
  to care for vets with no coverage, we will
  continue outreaching to military community
• Directing military consumers to Private Pay
  Clinic with specially designed services