| 8 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 5 | | relating to a requirement that certain entering students at a |
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| 10 | 6 | | general academic teaching institution receive information |
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| 11 | 7 | | regarding mental health and suicide prevention services. |
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| 12 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 14 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 51.9194 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 11 | | Sec. 51.9194. REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR ENTERING STUDENTS |
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| 16 | 12 | | REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION SERVICES. (a) A |
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| 17 | 13 | | general academic teaching institution shall provide to each |
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| 18 | 14 | | entering full-time undergraduate, graduate, or professional |
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| 19 | 15 | | student, including each full-time undergraduate, graduate, or |
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| 20 | 16 | | professional student who transfers to the institution, information |
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| 21 | 17 | | about: |
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| 22 | 18 | | (1) available mental health and suicide prevention |
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| 23 | 19 | | services offered by the institution or by any associated |
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| 24 | 20 | | organizations or programs; and |
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| 25 | 21 | | (2) early warning signs that are often present in and |
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| 26 | 22 | | appropriate intervention for a person who may be considering |
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| 27 | 23 | | suicide. |
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| 28 | 24 | | (b) The information required under this section: |
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| 29 | 25 | | (1) may be provided through: |
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| 30 | 26 | | (A) a live presentation; or |
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| 31 | 27 | | (B) a format that allows for student interaction, |
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| 32 | 28 | | such as an online program or video; and |
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| 33 | 29 | | (2) may not be provided in a paper format only. |
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| 34 | 30 | | SECTION 2. Section 51.9194, Education Code, as added by |
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| 35 | 31 | | this Act, applies to full-time entering students who are admitted |
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| 36 | 32 | | to an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program at a |
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| 37 | 33 | | general academic teaching institution beginning with the 2016 fall |
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| 38 | 34 | | semester. |
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| 39 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 40 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 41 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 42 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 43 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 40 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 41 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 42 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1624 passed the Senate on |
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| 43 | + | May 13, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 10; and that |
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| 44 | + | the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 30, 2015, by the |
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| 45 | + | following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11. |
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| 46 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 48 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1624 passed the House, with |
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| 49 | + | amendment, on May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 129, |
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| 50 | + | Nays 15, two present not voting. |
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| 51 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 53 | + | Approved: |
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| 54 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 55 | + | Date |
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| 56 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 57 | + | Governor |
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