Utah Senate HHS Committee votes on first batch of bills Eli Kirshbaum | Jan 21, 2021 Share this: Mental health legislation will be a top priority for lawmakers on Utah’s Senate Health and Human Services Committee this year. The committee had its first meeting of the session on Wednesday to discuss four proposed health care bills, two of which would expand mental health services in the state.
The committee voted on the following bills: Senate Bill 41, sponsored by Sen. Luz Escamilla, amends Utah’s mental health access laws to include telehealth services. This bill was passed unanimously between sessions by the Health and Human Services Interim Committee and follows the structure of previous telehealth legislation. According to Escamilla, the original telehealth bill was very effective in increasing telehealth care provisions and SB 41 will expand telehealth support to accommodate rising mental health needs caused by COVID-19.