Adopted

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO

Senate Bill No. 2781

BY: Committee

     Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

SECTION 1. (1) For the purpose of this section, the term "agencies" means the State Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Child Protection Services and the Division of Medicaid, and the term "agency" means any one of those entities.

     (2)  The agencies shall jointly develop a program to coordinate and promote information and services related to pregnancy, childbirth and care for dependent children for expectant mothers and new parents.  The program shall be fully operational not later than January 1, 2024.

     (3)  The program shall include, but shall not be limited to, providing comprehensive information and resources related to adoption assistance, child care, domestic abuse protection, early intervention, food, clothing and supplies related to pregnancy and newborn care, job training and placement, paternity, parenting skills, and prenatal and postpartum care provided by:

          (a)  The State of Mississippi or any other governmental entity; or

          (b)  Relevant nonprofit organizations, including religious institutions.

     (4)  Each agency shall determine, in cooperation with the other agencies, which aspects and topics of the program that the agency will oversee and how the agency will promote the program. The agencies shall make information related to the program available on a separate website that is accessible from each agency's main website and the county health departments' websites not later than October 1, 2023.  The mobile application referenced in subsection (5) of this section shall be available to the public not later than January 1, 2024.

     (5)  The agencies shall jointly establish a promotional campaign to educate the public about the program, including, but not limited to, the implementation of a separate website as provided in subsection (4) of this section social media graphics and any other awareness activity, including the creation of a mobile application.

     (6)  The agencies shall apply for any federal grants that may be available to assist in paying the costs of implementing and operating the program.

     (7)  The agencies shall jointly promulgate such rules as necessary to implement this program.

     (8)  Not later than October 1, 2024, the agencies shall report to the Chairs of the House and Senate Judiciary A Committees, the House Public Health and Human Services Committee and the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on the operation and status of the program.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.

     Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

     AN ACT TO DIRECT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES AND THE DIVISION OF MEDICAID TO JOINTLY DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO COORDINATE AND PROMOTE INFORMATION AND SERVICES RELATED TO PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH AND CARE FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND NEW PARENTS; TO REQUIRE THAT THE PROGRAM BE FULLY OPERATIONAL NOT LATER THAN JANUARY 1, 2024; TO REQUIRE THE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CERTAIN RESOURCES RELATED TO ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, CHILD CARE, DOMESTIC ABUSE PROTECTION, EARLY INTERVENTION, FOOD, CLOTHING AND SUPPLIES RELATED TO PREGNANCY AND NEWBORN CARE, JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT, PATERNITY, PARENTING SKILLS, AND PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM CARE; TO REQUIRE EACH AGENCY TO DETERMINE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES, WHICH ASPECTS AND TOPICS OF THE PROGRAM THAT THE AGENCY WILL OVERSEE AND HOW THE AGENCY WILL PROMOTE THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE AGENCIES TO MAKE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PROGRAM AVAILABLE ON A SEPARATE WEBSITE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE FROM EACH AGENCY'S MAIN WEBSITE AND THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS' WEBSITES NOT LATER THAN OCTOBER 1, 2023; TO REQUIRE THE AGENCIES TO JOINTLY ESTABLISH A PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE PROGRAM; TO DIRECT THE AGENCIES TO APPLY FOR ANY FEDERAL GRANTS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN PAYING THE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING AND OPERATING THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE AGENCIES TO JOINTLY PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE AGENCIES TO REPORT TO THE CHAIRS OF CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES ON THE OPERATION AND STATUS OF THE PROGRAM NOT LATER THAN OCTOBER 1, 2024; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.