85R3562 SMT-D
By: White H.B. No. 562
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a committee formed to adopt a plan to deal with mental
illness in the criminal justice system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 7, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 580 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 580. LOCAL COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH
Sec. 580.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Committee" means a local committee on mental
health formed by a local mental health authority.
(2) "Department" means the Department of State Health
Services.
(3) "Region" means the local service area for which a
local mental health authority designated under Section 533.035 is
responsible.
Sec. 580.002. LOCAL COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH. (a) Each
local mental health authority shall form a local committee on
mental health encompassing the authority's region.
(b) The committee shall develop and adopt a plan and submit
the plan to the department not later than January 1, 2019.
Sec. 580.003. COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE. The local mental
health authority shall appoint the following members to the
committee, if present in the region:
(1) a county judge or a county commissioner to serve as
committee chair;
(2) a representative from each sheriff's department;
(3) a representative from each district attorney's
office;
(4) a representative from the Department of Family and
Protective Services' child protection division;
(5) a representative from the Department of Family and
Protective Services' adult protection division;
(6) a representative from each adult probation office;
(7) a representative from the local mental health
authority;
(8) a criminal trial judge;
(9) an arraignment magistrate;
(10) a representative from a faith-based or nonprofit
organization;
(11) a county veteran coordinator;
(12) a representative from a private hospital; and
(13) a representative from a public hospital.
Sec. 580.004. DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN. (a) The committee shall
develop and adopt a plan identifying:
(1) the population of county jail inmates with mental
illness;
(2) a measurable goal for reducing the population of
county jail inmates with mental illness within two years;
(3) a method for improving indigent defense for
persons with a mental illness who have been accused of a crime;
(4) a method for addressing mental illness among
veterans;
(5) a method for quickly identifying and diverting
persons with mental illness from the criminal justice system; and
(6) a method for providing community supervision to
reduce recidivism among criminogenic superutilizers of mental
health resources.
(b) The committee must unanimously agree on the adopted
plan.
Sec. 580.005. DISSOLUTION OF COMMITTEE. The committee
shall dissolve after the committee submits its plan to the
department.
Sec. 580.006. CONDITION TO RECEIVE CONTINUED STATE FUNDING
FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. The department may not distribute to a local
mental health authority state funds for mental or behavioral health
services for the fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019,
unless the authority's committee has submitted to the department
its plan on or before January 1, 2019.
Sec. 580.007. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires August 31,
2021.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.