HB 2671-S2 - DIGEST
(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Requires the department of health to: (1) Establish a pilot program to support behavioral health improvement and suicide prevention efforts for members of the agricultural industry workforce;

(2) Contract with an entity that has behavioral health and suicide prevention expertise to develop a free resource for workers in the agricultural industry; and

(3) Use an entity that has an existing telephonic and web-based resource, including entities that have prepared similar resources for other states.

Requires the state office of rural health to convene a task force on behavioral health and suicide prevention in the agricultural industry and requires the task force to review the following issues: (1) Data related to the behavioral health status of persons associated with the agricultural industry, including suicide rates, substance use rates, and availability and use of behavioral health services;

(2) Factors unique to the agricultural industry that affect the behavioral health of persons working in the industry;

(3) Components that should be addressed in the pilot program, including consideration of components that relate to similar programs funded or partially funded by the federal office of rural health policy; and

(4) Options to improve the behavioral health status of and reduce suicide risk among agricultural workers and their families, including individual focused and community focused strategies.