H.B. No. 19
AN ACT
relating to a preventive services program and mental health
programs for veterans and military families.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 2, Human Resources Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 53 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 53. PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
Sec. 53.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Department" means the Department of Family and
Protective Services.
(2) "Veteran" means a person who has served in:
(A) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or
marine corps of the United States;
(B) the state military forces as defined by
Section 431.001, Government Code; or
(C) an auxiliary service of one of those branches
of the armed forces.
Sec. 53.002. VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES PREVENTIVE
SERVICES PROGRAM. (a) The department shall develop and implement a
preventive services program to serve veterans and military families
who have committed or experienced or who are at a high risk of:
(1) family violence; or
(2) abuse or neglect.
(b) The program must:
(1) be designed to coordinate with community-based
organizations to provide prevention services;
(2) include a prevention component and an early
intervention component;
(3) include collaboration with services for child
welfare, services for early childhood education, and other child
and family services programs; and
(4) coordinate with the community collaboration
initiative developed under Subchapter I, Chapter 434, Government
Code, and committees formed by local communities as part of that
initiative.
(c) The program must be established initially as a pilot
program in areas of the state in which the department considers the
implementation practicable. The department shall evaluate the
outcomes of the pilot program and ensure that the program is
producing positive results before implementing the program
throughout the state.
(d) The department shall evaluate the program and prepare an
annual report on the outcomes of the program. The department shall
publish the report on the department's Internet website.
SECTION 2. Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapters H and I to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER H. STATEWIDE COORDINATION OF MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAM FOR VETERANS
Sec. 434.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.
(2) "Peer" means a person who is a veteran or a
veteran's family member.
(3) "Veteran" means a person who has served in:
(A) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or
marine corps of the United States;
(B) the state military forces as defined by
Section 431.001; or
(C) an auxiliary service of one of those branches
of the armed forces.
(4) "Volunteer coordinator" means a person who
recruits and retains veterans, peers, and volunteers to participate
in the mental health program for veterans and related activities.
Sec. 434.352. DUTIES. (a) The commission and the
Department of State Health Services shall coordinate to administer
the mental health program for veterans developed under Chapter
1001, Health and Safety Code.
(b) For the mental health program for veterans, the
commission shall:
(1) provide training to volunteer coordinators and
peers in accordance with Section 434.353;
(2) provide technical assistance to volunteer
coordinators and peers;
(3) recruit, train, and communicate with
community-based therapists, community-based organizations, and
faith-based organizations; and
(4) coordinate services for justice involved
veterans.
(c) The executive director of the commission shall appoint a
program director to administer the mental health program for
veterans.
(d) The commission shall provide appropriate facilities in
support of the mental health program for veterans to the extent
funding is available for that purpose.
Sec. 434.353. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION. (a) The
commission shall develop and implement methods for providing
volunteer coordinator certification training to volunteer
coordinators, including providing training for initial
certification and recertification and providing continuing
education.
(b) The commission shall manage and coordinate the peer
training program to include initial training, advanced training,
certification, and continuing education for peers associated with
the mental health program for veterans.
SUBCHAPTER I. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION INITIATIVE
Sec. 434.401. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION. (a) The commission
and the Department of State Health Services shall include as a part
of the mental health program for veterans described by Section
434.352(a) an initiative to encourage local communities to conduct
cross-sector collaboration to synchronize locally accessible
resources available for veterans and military service members.
(b) The initiative must be designed to encourage local
communities to form a committee that is tasked with developing a
plan to identify and support the needs of veterans and military
service members residing in their community. The commission may
designate general areas of focus for the initiative.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 19 was passed by the House on May 11,
2015, by the following vote: Yeas 131, Nays 5, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 19 was passed by the Senate on May 24,
2015, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor