TX
Texas House Bill HB1045

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1045 Compare Versions

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1-86R28494 SRA-D
2- By: Neave, Lopez, Reynolds H.B. No. 1045
3- Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1045:
4- By: Flynn C.S.H.B. No. 1045
1+86R4461 SRA-D
2+ By: Neave H.B. No. 1045
53
64
75 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
86 AN ACT
9- relating to a veteran suicide tracking system and required
10- reporting of veteran suicides by certain persons.
7+ relating to a women veterans suicide tracking system and required
8+ reporting of women veteran suicides by certain persons.
119 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12- SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
13- amended by adding Section 434.026 to read as follows:
14- Sec. 434.026. VETERAN SUICIDE TRACKING SYSTEM; REQUIRED
15- REPORTING OF CERTAIN SUICIDES. (a) The Texas Veterans Commission,
16- in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans
10+ SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
11+ amended by adding Section 434.217 to read as follows:
12+ Sec. 434.217. WOMEN VETERANS SUICIDE TRACKING SYSTEM;
13+ REQUIRED REPORTING OF CERTAIN SUICIDES. (a) The program, in
14+ collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans
1715 Affairs, shall develop and maintain a system for tracking the
18- number of veteran suicides in this state and determining the number
19- of those veterans who received services from the United States
20- Department of Veterans Affairs. The tracking system must include
21- data:
16+ number of suicides of women veterans in this state and determining
17+ the number of those women veterans who received services from the
18+ United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The tracking system
19+ must include data:
2220 (1) available from the United States Department of
2321 Veterans Affairs; and
24- (2) reported to the commission under Subsection (b).
25- (b) A person who knows that the cause of death for a veteran
26- is suicide shall report the suicide to the Texas Veterans
27- Commission and provide any information the person has that may
28- assist the commission in determining whether the veteran received
29- services from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
30- (c) The following persons shall provide to the Texas
31- Veterans Commission in accordance with Subsection (b) any relevant
32- information the person obtains related to the suicide of a veteran:
22+ (2) reported to the program under Subsection (b).
23+ (b) A person who knows that the cause of death for a woman
24+ veteran is suicide shall report the suicide to the program and
25+ provide any information the person may have that may assist the
26+ program in determining whether the woman received services from the
27+ United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
28+ (c) The following persons shall provide to the program in
29+ accordance with Subsection (b) any relevant information the person
30+ obtains related to the suicide death of a woman veteran:
3331 (1) a medical examiner or a justice of the peace who is
3432 acting as a coroner;
3533 (2) a health care facility licensed under Subtitle B,
3634 Title 4, Health and Safety Code; or
3735 (3) a mental health facility as defined by Section
3836 571.003, Health and Safety Code.
39- (d) Information about the suicide of a veteran obtained
40- under this chapter is confidential and is not subject to disclosure
41- under Chapter 552, Government Code, is not subject to subpoena, and
42- may not otherwise be released or made public.
43- (e) Not later than December 31 of each year, the Texas
44- Veterans Commission shall submit to the legislature a report that
45- includes:
46- (1) the number of veteran suicides that were reported
47- to the commission under this section during the preceding year;
48- (2) the number of veterans described by Subdivision
49- (1) who received services from the United States Department of
50- Veterans Affairs;
51- (3) information on whether the rate of veteran
52- suicides in this state is decreasing or increasing;
37+ (d) Information about the suicide of a woman veteran
38+ obtained under this chapter is confidential and is not subject to
39+ disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, is not subject to
40+ subpoena, and may not otherwise be released or made public.
41+ (e) Not later than December 31 of each year, the program
42+ shall submit to the legislature a report that includes:
43+ (1) the number of suicides of women veterans that were
44+ reported to the program under this section during the preceding
45+ year;
46+ (2) the number of women described by Subdivision (1)
47+ who received services from the United States Department of Veterans
48+ Affairs;
49+ (3) information on whether the suicide rate of women
50+ veterans in this state is decreasing or increasing;
5351 (4) an evaluation of the effectiveness of statewide
5452 prevention and awareness campaigns in decreasing the number of
55- veteran suicides in this state; and
53+ suicides by women veterans in this state; and
5654 (5) recommendations for improving the effectiveness
5755 of statewide prevention and awareness campaigns.
58- SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2019, the Texas
59- Veterans Commission shall develop the tracking system required by
60- Section 434.026, Government Code, as added by this Act.
61- SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Section 434.026, Government
56+ SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2019, the Texas Women
57+ Veterans Program shall develop the tracking system required by
58+ Section 434.217, Government Code, as added by this Act.
59+ SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Section 434.217, Government
6260 Code, as added by this Act:
6361 (1) a person is not required to comply with Section
64- 434.026(c) until January 1, 2020; and
65- (2) the Texas Veterans Commission is not required to
66- submit a report required by Section 434.026(e) to the legislature
67- until December 31, 2020.
62+ 434.217(c) until January 1, 2020; and
63+ (2) the Texas Women Veterans Program is not required
64+ to submit a report required by Section 434.217(e) to the
65+ legislature until December 31, 2020.
6866 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.