Green Bay – Today Governor Scott Walker signed mental health legislation authored by Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown) into law at the Brown County Human Services office. Assembly Bill 455, which Jagler authored with Senator Shiela Harsdorf (R-River Falls) provides funds that will be distributed through the Department of Health Services to counties for use on peer-run respite centers. The bill passed through the legislature with unanimous support.
“It’s clear from the testimony we’ve received in Task Force hearings that peer-run respite centers are effective because people with mental illness tend to feel more comfortable working with individuals who are familiar with what they are going through,” said Jagler. These centers, which are run by people who have successfully participated in mental health treatment programs in the past, help diffuse crisis situations and eliminate costly visits to emergency rooms and hospitals.”
The bill was one of over a dozen pieces of legislation developed based on recommendations from the Speaker’s Task Force on Mental Health, a bipartisan group of 11 legislators including Jagler that travelled throughout the state in order to hear testimony from over 70 experts.
“It was an honor to serve on the Speaker’s Task Force on Mental Health this session,” said Jagler. “I’m very pleased to see this important bill signed into law today after passing through the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support.”
