| 1 | 1 | | 85R13188 DMS-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 4061 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation of a task force on intentional violent |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | deaths. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. In this Act: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (1) "Department" means the Department of State Health |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Services. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Task force" means the task force on intentional |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | violent deaths. |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. (a) The department shall establish a task force |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | on intentional violent deaths. The task force shall develop a |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | written plan establishing measures and a timeline to reduce |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | intentional violent deaths in this state, including suicides and |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | homicides. The department shall: |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (1) analyze current available local and state data |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | relating to intentional violent deaths and: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (A) identify gaps in the data; and |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (B) recommend measures to improve data |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | collection; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (2) analyze, to the extent feasible, the impact mental |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | illness has on intentional violent deaths; |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (3) review current laws in this state and other states |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | pertaining to addressing and preventing intentional violent |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | deaths; and |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (4) review national best practices relating to |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | policies on reducing intentional violent deaths. |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (b) The task force is composed of 11 members as follows: |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (1) two members appointed by the governor; |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | representatives; |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (4) one representative of each of the following |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | agencies appointed by the executive head of the agency: |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (A) the department; |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (B) the Department of Public Safety of the State |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | of Texas; |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (C) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; and |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | (D) the Texas Suicide Prevention Council; |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (5) one representative from a law enforcement |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | organization, appointed by the commissioner of state health |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | services; and |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (6) two representatives from public health advocacy |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | organizations, appointed by the department. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (c) A task force member is not entitled to compensation or |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | reimbursement for expenses incurred in performing the member's |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | duties. |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | (d) Not later than October 1, 2017, each person responsible |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | for appointing members to the task force shall appoint the members |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | as required by Subsection (b) of this section. |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | (e) Not later than December 1, 2018, the task force shall |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | submit its written plan to the governor and members of the |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | legislature. |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 3. The task force is abolished and this Act expires |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | September 1, 2019. |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|