LANSING, Mich., April 26, 2023 — The House Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee voted out its budget recommendation yesterday. State Rep. Christine Morse (D-Texas Township), chair of the subcommittee, introduced House Bill 4310, which will benefit Michigan’s most vulnerable families and includes funding for mental health services, investments in public health and medical services programs, as well as support and protections for senior citizens, crime victims, and children and families.

“Creating this budget was not about checking boxes just to check boxes — this budget is carefully designed to make meaningful health and wellness improvements in the lives of Michigan’s children, families and elderly residents,” Morse said. “I am pleased with the budget I have crafted with my team, and the values it broadcasts; that the people of Michigan deserve access to high-quality care and the opportunity to live healthy lives.

“My office has heard countless requests from every region of Michigan since the beginning of this term, and we have deeply considered those needs. Our budget reflects that in the inclusion of funding for vital projects in every corner of the state, from the U.P. to Detroit. For example, we allocated $1 million for the Trinity St. Mary Mobile Mammography program to ensure smaller communities have access to breast cancer screening. We also made sure to prioritize statewide programs, such as $1 million for the Meals on Wheels program to make sure seniors across the state have nutritious meals and $5.5 million for the Michigan Breastfeeding Network to support skilled lactation assistance for mothers and babies.

“During our deliberations, we worked to make health care accessible for all residents of Michigan. An important factor in creating healthy communities is addressing social determinants of health, like food accessibility. Health starts long before we go to the doctor’s office; families without access to healthy, affordable meals are starting from a disadvantaged position. Setting aside funds to combat food deserts and to support the efforts of local and statewide food banks was one way we worked to address health equity issues like these.

“A huge priority during this budget process has been behavioral and mental health. Michigan is facing a mental health-care crisis: There simply are not enough staff or facilities to adequately address Michigan’s needs. That is why I took special care to allocate funds for behavioral health in my budget, including $5 million for recruitment and retention for mental health professionals, and $4.7 million for the Michigan Child Collaborative Care (MC3), a program to assist pediatricians in effective and appropriate treatment of childhood mental health concerns.

“This budget aims to create a fairer public health system and bring improved physical and mental wellness to Michiganders, and I look forward to continuing the budget process with those goals in mind.”

Line-item Appropriations Include:

  • $5 million for recruiting and retaining mental health professionals.
  • $1.5 million to McLaren Thumb Obstetrics for maternal-infant health.
  • $5.5 million to the Michigan Breastfeeding Network for maternal-infant health.
  • $20.9 million to the Michigan Agricultural Surplus System for increased food security.
  • $1.5 million to the Kids Food Basket Program to increase access to healthy food.
  • $13.9 million for Foster Care Respite Services to support caregivers and foster homes.