Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3407 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R11987 MM-D
2	2	By: Thierry H.B. No. 3407
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a task force to address suicide
8	8	prevention at public institutions of higher education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter W-1 to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER W-1. TASK FORCE TO PREVENT SUICIDE AT INSTITUTIONS OF
13	13	HIGHER EDUCATION
14	14	Sec. 51.861. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	15	(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
16	16	assigned by Section 61.003.
17	17	(2) "Task force" means the task force established
18	18	under this subchapter.
19	19	Sec. 51.862. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. A task force is
20	20	established under this subchapter to develop a strategy to prevent
21	21	suicide at institutions of higher education.
22	22	Sec. 51.863. TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP. (a) The task force
23	23	consists of 13 members appointed as follows:
24	24	(1) two members appointed by the governor;
25	25	(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
26	26	(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house
27	27	of representatives;
28	28	(4) four members appointed by the presiding officer of
29	29	the task force;
30	30	(5) one representative from The University of Texas'
31	31	counseling and mental health center appointed by the chancellor of
32	32	The University of Texas System;
33	33	(6) one representative from Texas A&M University's
34	34	student counseling services appointed by the chancellor of The
35	35	Texas A&M University System; and
36	36	(7) one representative of the Department of State
37	37	Health Services appointed by the executive commissioner of the
38	38	Health and Human Services Commission.
39	39	(b) Members of the task force must be individuals who are:
40	40	(1) actively involved in the prevention of suicide and
41	41	the improvement of student welfare; or
42	42	(2) employed by an institution of higher education.
43	43	(c) Appointments to the task force shall be made without
44	44	regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or
45	45	national origin of the appointee.
46	46	(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for
47	47	service on the task force.
48	48	(e) The presiding officer of the task force is the member
49	49	who represents The University of Texas' counseling and mental
50	50	health center.
51	51	(f) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding
52	52	officer. The task force may meet by teleconference.
53	53	(g) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
54	54	task force.
55	55	Sec. 51.864. TASK FORCE DUTIES. (a) The task force shall
56	56	identify:
57	57	(1) all existing programs in the state relating to
58	58	preventing suicide at institutions of higher education; and
59	59	(2) the programs described by Subdivision (1) that
60	60	receive state money.
61	61	(b) The task force shall develop recommendations for
62	62	reducing suicide and for improving student welfare at institutions
63	63	of higher education. In developing recommendations, the task force
64	64	shall:
65	65	(1) gather information concerning suicide and student
66	66	welfare at institutions of higher education, including information
67	67	regarding:
68	68	(A) the race, gender, area of study, and year of
69	69	study for students who have committed suicide, attempted to commit
70	70	suicide, or sought services related to suicide from a counseling
71	71	center;
72	72	(B) protocols on each campus for responding to
73	73	students in distress, intervention, treatment, re-entry, and
74	74	post-crisis intervention;
75	75	(C) the availability of online resources and
76	76	hotlines;
77	77	(D) efforts to screen students for behavioral
78	78	health disorders and suicidal ideation;
79	79	(E) efforts to enforce suicide means restriction
80	80	and reduce access to lethal means;
81	81	(F) counselor-to-student ratios;
82	82	(G) student groups raising awareness about
83	83	suicide prevention and behavioral health problems; and
84	84	(H) social media coping resources, including
85	85	online resources;
86	86	(2) receive reports and testimony from individuals,
87	87	state and local governmental agencies, community-based
88	88	organizations, and other public and private organizations; and
89	89	(3) create goals for state policy that would prevent
90	90	suicide and improve student welfare at institutions of higher
91	91	education.
92	92	Sec. 51.865. SUPPORT AGENCY DUTIES. The Texas Higher
93	93	Education Coordinating Board, the Department of State Health
94	94	Services, The University of Texas System, and The Texas A&M
95	95	University System shall:
96	96	(1) provide administrative support services to the
97	97	task force;
98	98	(2) coordinate administrative responsibilities with
99	99	the task force to avoid unnecessary duplication of duties;
100	100	(3) share the costs of the task force, including
101	101	administrative expenses; and
102	102	(4) each designate a person to serve as a liaison with
103	103	the task force.
104	104	Sec. 51.866. CONSULTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES; PRIVATE
105	105	FOUNDATIONS. (a) The task force shall consult with employees of
106	106	the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Department of
107	107	State Health Services, The University of Texas System, and The
108	108	Texas A&M University System as necessary to accomplish the task
109	109	force's responsibilities under this subchapter.
110	110	(b) The task force may collaborate as necessary with any
111	111	appropriate state agency, including institutions of higher
112	112	education.
113	113	(c) The task force may consult with private foundations that
114	114	have made a substantial commitment to the prevention of suicide to
115	115	accomplish the task force's responsibilities under this
116	116	subchapter.
117	117	Sec. 51.867. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2018, the
118	118	task force shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant
119	119	governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives a report
120	120	that includes:
121	121	(1) a description of the activities of the task force;
122	122	(2) the findings of the task force on the current state
123	123	of suicide at institutions of higher education;
124	124	(3) recommendations on best practices for higher
125	125	education policies and protocols for preventing suicide; and
126	126	(4) any other matter the task force considers
127	127	appropriate.
128	128	Sec. 51.868. FUNDING; ACCOUNT. (a) The task force shall
129	129	review the funding strategies for the task force and develop
130	130	proposals for expanding the sources of funds available to finance
131	131	the activities of the task force.
132	132	(b) The task force may accept gifts and grants from
133	133	individuals or private or public organizations and accept federal
134	134	and local funds to support the task force.
135	135	(c) The suicide prevention task force account is an account
136	136	in the general revenue fund. Money in the account may be
137	137	appropriated only to the task force for the purposes of this
138	138	subchapter. The suicide prevention task force account is exempt
139	139	from the application of Section 403.095, Government Code. The
140	140	account consists of:
141	141	(1) gifts and grants to the task force;
142	142	(2) money received by the task force from federal,
143	143	state, or local government; and
144	144	(3) notwithstanding Section 404.071, Government Code,
145	145	all interest attributable to money held in the account.
146	146	Sec. 51.869. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and
147	147	this subchapter expires September 1, 2019.
148	148	SECTION 2. The members of the task force shall be appointed
149	149	as required by Section 51.863, Education Code, as added by this Act,
150	150	not later than October 1, 2017.
151	151	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
152	152	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
153	153	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
154	154	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
155	155	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.