86R13528 JG-F
By: Price H.B. No. 2707
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the expansion of the community mental health grant
program to include services to and treatment of individuals with
substance use disorders.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 531.0999, Government
Code, as added by Chapter 770 (H.B. 13), Acts of the 85th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 531.0999. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES.
SECTION 2. Section 531.0999, Government Code, as added by
Chapter 770 (H.B. 13), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2017, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (d), (f),
(h), and (i) to read as follows:
(a) To the extent money is appropriated to the commission
for that purpose, the commission shall establish a matching grant
program for the purpose of supporting community mental health and
substance use disorder programs providing services and treatment to
individuals experiencing a mental illness or substance use
disorder.
(d) A grant awarded under the matching grant program and
matching amounts must be used for the sole purpose of supporting
community programs that provide mental health care or substance use
disorder services and treatment to individuals with a mental
illness or substance use disorder, as applicable, and that
coordinate mental health care or substance use disorder services
for individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder, as
applicable, with other transition support services.
(f) A nonprofit or governmental entity that applies for a
grant under this section must notify each local mental health
authority or local behavioral health authority with a local service
area that is covered wholly or partly by the entity's proposed
community mental health or substance use disorder program and must
provide in the entity's application a letter of support from each
local mental health authority or local behavioral health authority
with a local service area that is covered wholly or partly by the
entity's proposed community mental health or substance use disorder
program. The commission shall consider a local mental health
authority's or local behavioral health authority's written input
before awarding a grant under this section and may take any
recommendations made by the authority.
(h) A community that receives a grant under this section is
required to leverage funds in an amount:
(1) equal to 50 percent of the grant amount if the
community mental health or substance use disorder program is
located in a county with a population of less than 250,000;
(2) equal to 100 percent of the grant amount if the
community mental health or substance use disorder program is
located in a county with a population of at least 250,000; and
(3) equal to the percentage of the grant amount
otherwise required by this subsection for the largest county in
which a community mental health or substance use disorder program
is located if the community mental health or substance use disorder
program is located in more than one county.
(i) Except as provided by Subsection (j), from money
appropriated to the commission for each fiscal year to implement
this section, the commission shall reserve 50 percent of that total
to be awarded only as grants to a community mental health or
substance use disorder program located in a county with a
population not greater than 250,000.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.