Permitting certain felons to work in licensed behavioral health facilities

HB 3249 allows individuals who have completed their sentence for a nonviolent felony to work in licensed behavioral health facilities, provided they meet conditions set by new state rules. The bill requires the state health department to develop eligibility criteria and safety measures for these workers, which must be approved by the legislature. These rules will address patient and staff safety without changing existing licensing requirements for regulated professions like therapists or counselors. The policy applies directly to formerly incarcerated individuals with nonviolent felony convictions and behavioral health facilities seeking to hire them.