Behavioral Health Policy Review Committee

History

In 1990, the Utah Legislature created the Utah Substance Abuse Coordinating Council in the Governor’s Office to provide leadership and generate unity for Utah’s ongoing efforts to combat substance use. Subsequent legislative sessions gradually added additional members and subcommittees to this council, and in 1994, the Legislature expanded the Council’s scope to include community violence. This legislative change renamed the Council as the Utah Substance Abuse and Anti-Violence (USAAV) Coordinating Council.

Over the following decades, the Utah Legislature gradually expanded and amended the statutory responsibilities, membership, and subcommittees of USAAV. In 2016, the Legislature expanded the focus of USAAV to include mental health issues, renaming the Council as the Utah Substance Use and Mental Health Advisory Council (USAAV+).

In 2024, the Utah Legislature created the Utah Behavioral Health Commission as the central authority for coordinating behavioral health initiatives across the state. Under these legislative changes, USAAV+ became a subcommittee of the Utah Behavioral Health Commission, and conducts its statutory responsibilities under the direction of the Utah Behavioral Health Commission.

USAAV+ was renamed as the Behavioral Health Policy Review Committee, or Policy Review Committee, in 2026.