Behavioral Health Matters to Counties

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released new guidance outlining how it will implement significant Medicaid financing changes enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). These provisions restrict states’ ability to use health care-related taxes, commonly known as provider taxes, to help finance the non-federal share of Medicaid.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have released the FY 2026 Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for two major new homeland security grant programs: the FIFA World Cup Grant Program and the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program. 

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office are teaming up with the Wilton Rancheria Tribe to address the crisis through the creation of a Regional Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force.

On November 5, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that all 50 states submitted applications for the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.

On November 4, a coalition of 12 states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), alleging that recent changes to key emergency management grants are unlawful and could disrupt state and local preparedness efforts. 

On October 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Cohort II of the Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model. This new round of funding builds on the initial IBH model announced in 2024 and continues CMS’s efforts to improve outcomes for individuals with moderate to severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUDs) by advancing integration between behavioral and physical healthcare.