The Mississippi State Senate on Thursday passed a bill aimed at increased oversight of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
If the bill becomes law, the department would become an executive agency under direct authority of the governor’s office, according to a release from the office of Mississippi Lieutenant Gov. Tate Reeves.
The bill is titled the “Mississippi Health Agency Reorganization Act of 2017.”
The senate version of the bill was authored by Sen. Buck Clarke, R-Hollandale.
Under the changes, the department would operate similar to the departments of Environmental Quality, Corrections, Public Safety, Human Services, Child Protective Services, and the Mississippi Development Authority.
The release said employees would remain under the purview of the Personnel Board.
“There are lot of individuals from doctors to advocacy groups who are deeply concerned about how the Department of Mental Health is being operated, and I believe moving the agency under the Office of the Governor may provide accountability to the taxpayers and improve patient care,” Reeves said in a statement.
Reeves’ office said Mississippi spends almost $600 million annually in state and federal funds caring for mentally ill patients.
The release then cited the Mississippi State Medical Association, which claims the state spends more on mental health care than any other state per capita.
The bill will now go to the Mississippi House of Representatives for consideration.