86R4706 JG-D
By: Thierry H.B. No. 628
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an acute psychiatric bed registry to list available
beds for the psychiatric treatment of certain individuals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.0995 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.0995. ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC BED REGISTRY. (a) In this
section, "inpatient mental health facility" has the meaning
assigned by Section 571.003, Health and Safety Code.
(b) The commission shall develop and administer an
Internet-based and searchable acute psychiatric bed registry to
collect, aggregate, and display information about beds at inpatient
mental health facilities located in a county with a population of
four million or more that are available for the inpatient
psychiatric treatment of individuals.
(c) For each inpatient mental health facility, the acute
psychiatric bed registry must list:
(1) the name and contact information of the facility;
(2) the number of available beds;
(3) the type of individual who may be admitted;
(4) the level of security provided; and
(5) any other information that may be necessary to
identify appropriate beds for the inpatient psychiatric treatment
of individuals.
(d) The commission shall make the acute psychiatric bed
registry available to law enforcement agencies, community service
boards, mental health facilities, public and private residential
crisis stabilization units, emergency care facilities, and
emergency care providers located in a county with a population of
four million or more. The commission may make the registry
available to any other person the commission considers appropriate.
(e) An inpatient mental health facility located in a county
with a population of four million or more shall submit to the
commission information for the acute psychiatric bed registry as
required by the commission and review the information and confirm
its accuracy to the commission at least once daily and whenever
there is a change in bed availability at the facility.
(f) An inpatient mental health facility located in a county
with a population of four million or more shall designate an
employee or employees as necessary to:
(1) submit to the commission the information required
under Subsection (e) and review the information as required by that
subsection; and
(2) serve as a contact for questions about the
information submitted.
(g) The commission may contract with any person the
commission considers appropriate to develop and administer the
acute psychiatric bed registry.
(h) The commission may accept gifts, grants, or donations
from any public or private source for the purpose of carrying out
this section.
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2022, the Health and
Human Services Commission shall establish the acute psychiatric bed
registry required by Section 531.0995, Government Code, as added by
this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.