Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1598 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Lambert H.B. No. 1598
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to an initiative to increase the capacity of local mental
7	7	health authorities to provide access to mental health services in
8	8	certain counties.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 531.0221 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 531.0221. INITIATIVE TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH
13	13	SERVICES CAPACITY IN RURAL AREAS. (a) In this section, "local
14	14	mental health authority group" means a group of local mental health
15	15	authorities established under Subsection (b)(2).
16	16	(b) Not later than January 1, 2020, the commission shall:
17	17	(1) identify each local mental health authority that
18	18	is located in a county with a population of 250,000 or less or that
19	19	the commission determines provides services predominantly in a
20	20	county with a population of 250,000 or less;
21	21	(2) in a manner that the commission determines will
22	22	best achieve the reductions described by Subsection (d), assign the
23	23	authorities identified under Subdivision (1) of this subsection to
24	24	regional groups of at least two authorities; and
25	25	(3) notify each authority identified under
26	26	Subdivision (1):
27	27	(A) that the commission has identified the
28	28	authority under that subdivision; and
29	29	(B) which local mental health authority group the
30	30	commission assigned the authority to under Subdivision (2).
31	31	(c) The commission shall develop a mental health services
32	32	development plan for each local mental health authority group that
33	33	will increase the capacity of the authorities in the group to
34	34	provide access to needed services.
35	35	(d) In developing a plan under Subsection (c), the
36	36	commission shall focus on reducing:
37	37	(1) the cost to local governments of providing
38	38	services to persons experiencing a mental health crisis;
39	39	(2) the transportation of persons served by an
40	40	authority in the local mental health authority group to mental
41	41	health facilities;
42	42	(3) the incarceration of persons with mental illness
43	43	in county jails that are located in an area served by an authority
44	44	in the local mental health authority group; and
45	45	(4) the number of hospital emergency room visits by
46	46	persons with mental illness at hospitals located in an area served
47	47	by an authority in the local mental health authority group.
48	48	(e) In developing a plan under Subsection (c):
49	49	(1) the commission shall assess the capacity of the
50	50	authorities in the local mental health authority group to provide
51	51	access to needed services; and
52	52	(2) the commission and the local mental health
53	53	authority group shall evaluate:
54	54	(A) whether and to what degree increasing the
55	55	capacity of the authorities in the local mental health authority
56	56	group to provide access to needed services would offset the cost to
57	57	state or local governmental entities of:
58	58	(i) the transportation of persons for
59	59	mental health services to facilities that are not local providers;
60	60	(ii) admissions to and inpatient
61	61	hospitalizations at state hospitals or other treatment facilities;
62	62	(iii) the provision of services by hospital
63	63	emergency rooms to persons with mental illness who are served by or
64	64	reside in an area served by an authority in the local mental health
65	65	authority group; and
66	66	(iv) the incarceration in county jails of
67	67	persons with mental illness who are served by or reside in an area
68	68	served by an authority in the local mental health authority group;
69	69	(B) whether available state funds or grant
70	70	funding sources could be used to fund the plan; and
71	71	(C) what measures would be necessary to ensure
72	72	that the plan aligns with the statewide behavioral health strategic
73	73	plan and the comprehensive inpatient mental health plan.
74	74	(f) In each mental health services development plan
75	75	produced under this section, the commission, in collaboration with
76	76	the local mental health authority group, shall determine the most
77	77	cost-effective method of increasing the capacity of the authorities
78	78	in the local mental health authority group to provide access to
79	79	needed services.
80	80	(g) The commission shall compile and evaluate each mental
81	81	health services development plan produced under this section and
82	82	determine:
83	83	(1) the cost-effectiveness of each plan; and
84	84	(2) how each plan would improve the delivery of mental
85	85	health treatment and care to residents in the service areas of the
86	86	authorities in the local mental health authority group.
87	87	(h) Not later than December 1, 2020, the commission shall
88	88	produce and publish on its Internet website a report containing:
89	89	(1) the commission's evaluation of each plan under
90	90	Subsection (g);
91	91	(2) each mental health services development plan
92	92	evaluated by the commission under Subsection (g); and
93	93	(3) a comprehensive statewide analysis of mental
94	94	health services in counties with a population of 250,000 or less,
95	95	including recommendations to the legislature for implementing the
96	96	plans developed under this section.
97	97	(i) The commission and the authorities in each local mental
98	98	health authority group may implement a mental health services
99	99	development plan evaluated by the commission under this section if
100	100	the commission and the local mental health authority group to which
101	101	the plan applies identify a method of funding that implementation.
102	102	(j) This section expires September 1, 2021.
103	103	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
104	104	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
105	105	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
106	106	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
107	107	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.