House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.

Now directs the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to study the feasibility of adding coverage to a new Medicaid service Community Activities and Employment Transitions (CAET) program for individuals aged 16 or older (was, adults 18 or older) with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Prior version directed the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits (DHB), to create a new Medicaid in-lieu-of-service Community Activities and Employment Transitions (CAET) program for adults with intellectual disabilities.) Directs DHHS to consider the feasibility of adding the coverage in any of the following ways: (1) by adding an "in-lieu-of" service offered through the 1115 waiver for Medicaid transformation, (2) by adding or amending a 1915(i) home and community-based State Plan amendment to include the service, or (3) by adding the service to any existing Medicaid waiver in this State. Amends first of three listed criteria for CAET service to specify that the service modeled after services by Alliance Behavioral Healthcare support a meaningful week when used either separately or with other available services.

Now directs the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services (Commission) (was, DHB) to collaborate with listed stakeholders to review any relevant rules. Authorizes the Commission, in its discretion, to amend or adopt relevant rules, if necessary (previously, DHB was required to amend or adopt any relevant rules if necessary).

Changes the due date of DHHS’s (was, DHB) report to the specified NCGA Committee to April 1, 2024 (was, January 1, 2024), and the subject of the report to now include information related to any new CAET service determined to be feasible under the act (prior report required DHB to provide specified information on the development of the CAET program).  

Effective July 1, 2023, appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to DHSR in nonrecurring funds for 2023-24 to implement feasibility study required by the act. Alos appropriates $2 million in nonrecurring funds for 2024-25 to be used for drafting the requests for the authorities or supports needed to implement any proposed new CAET service determined to be feasible under the act. (Prior version appropriated $4.5 million in recurring funds for 2023-24 and $9 million in recurring funds for 2024-25 to DHB from the General Fund for implementation of the CAET services. Specified that the funds were a match for federal recurring funds of $8.7 million for 2023-24, and $17.4 million for 2024-25, and those federal funds were also appropriated to DHB for the same purpose.)