| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a comprehensive plan for increasing and improving the |
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| 8 | 8 | | workforce in this state to serve persons with mental health and |
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| 9 | 9 | | substance use issues. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 531.02253 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 531.02253. COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE PLAN FOR MENTAL |
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| 14 | 14 | | HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE. (a) The statewide behavioral health |
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| 15 | 15 | | coordinating council, under the direction of the commission, shall |
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| 16 | 16 | | develop and the commission shall implement a comprehensive plan to |
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| 17 | 17 | | increase and improve the workforce in this state to serve persons |
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| 18 | 18 | | with mental health and substance use issues. In developing the |
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| 19 | 19 | | plan, the council shall analyze and consider available studies, |
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| 20 | 20 | | reports, and recommendations regarding that segment of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | workforce in this state or elsewhere. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The plan must include: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) a strategy and timeline for implementing the plan, |
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| 24 | 24 | | including short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) a system for monitoring the implementation of the |
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| 26 | 26 | | plan; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) a method for evaluating the outcomes of the plan. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2020, the statewide |
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| 29 | 29 | | behavioral health coordinating council shall develop and the Health |
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| 30 | 30 | | and Human Services Commission shall begin implementing the plan |
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| 31 | 31 | | required under Section 531.02253, Government Code, as added by this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. The statewide behavioral health coordinating |
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| 34 | 34 | | council and the Health and Human Services Commission are required |
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| 35 | 35 | | to implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature |
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| 36 | 36 | | appropriates money to the commission specifically for that purpose. |
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| 37 | 37 | | If the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that |
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| 38 | 38 | | purpose, the council and the commission may, but are not required |
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| 39 | 39 | | to, implement the provision using other appropriations made to the |
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| 40 | 40 | | commission that are available for that purpose. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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