The assembly decided to allocate $100 million for the hotline and clinics in the bill’s final draft, which is now awaiting the governor’s approval.
Originally, mental health advocates of the state proposed $130 million for each of the next two years for clinics alone, plus a $1 surcharge on all phone service lines to fund the 988 hotline, which would have secured roughly $90 million annually for the program.
The $100 million will be used to fund pilot sites measuring the effectiveness of the 988 hotline and the program for certified behavioral health clinics.