In this subtitle, “Fund” means the Behavioral Health Workforce Investment Fund established under § 10–1502 of this subtitle.

There is a Behavioral Health Workforce Investment Fund. The purpose of the Fund is to provide reimbursement for costs associated with educating, training, certifying, recruiting, placing, and retaining behavioral health professionals and paraprofessionals. The Department shall administer the Fund. The Fund is a special, nonlapsing Fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article. The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund. The Fund shall consist of: Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; Interest earnings of the Fund; and Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund. The Fund may be used only for carrying out the purpose of the Fund. The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested. Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund. Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget. Money expended from the Fund for carrying out the purpose of the Fund is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that otherwise would be appropriated for carrying out the purpose of the Fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no part of the Fund may revert or be credited to: The General Fund of the State; or Any other special fund of the State. The Fund is subject to audit by the Office of Legislative Audits as provided in § 2–1220 of the State Government Article.

On or before December 1 each year, beginning in 2024, the Department shall submit a report to the Legislative Policy Committee, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, that includes: For the immediately preceding fiscal year, the amount of funds transferred and distributed from the Fund in accordance with § 10–1502 of this subtitle; For the immediately preceding fiscal year, the number of behavioral health professionals and paraprofessionals educated, trained, recruited, certified, placed, or retained with money from the Fund, aggregated by: The type of professional or paraprofessional; Geographic region; Race; and Ethnicity; The amount of any unspent funds in the Fund at the end of the immediately preceding fiscal year; and If unspent funds are identified under item (3) of this section, the reasons why the funds were not spent.