| 1 | 1 | | 86R7868 GCB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 856 |
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| 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 the establishment of the student mental health division |
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| 8 | 8 | | within the Texas Education Agency. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 7.041 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 7.041. STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION. The |
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| 13 | 13 | | commissioner by rule shall establish the student mental health |
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| 14 | 14 | | division within the agency to: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) develop and administer a plan to identify, |
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| 16 | 16 | | leverage, and align existing agency resources to promote the |
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| 17 | 17 | | academic success of students with mental health needs, including |
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| 18 | 18 | | students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter |
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| 19 | 19 | | 29; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) promote strong local and statewide |
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| 21 | 21 | | school-community partnerships by coordinating with community-based |
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| 22 | 22 | | mental health services providers, youth services providers, and |
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| 23 | 23 | | school district resources, including school counselors, and with |
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| 24 | 24 | | relevant state agencies, including the Health and Human Services |
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| 25 | 25 | | Commission, the Department of State Health Services, the Department |
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| 26 | 26 | | of Family and Protective Services, the Texas Workforce Commission, |
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| 27 | 27 | | and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 29 | 29 | | of this Act, the commissioner of education shall adopt rules |
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| 30 | 30 | | establishing the student mental health division within the Texas |
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| 31 | 31 | | Education Agency as required by Section 7.041, Education Code, as |
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| 32 | 32 | | added by this Act. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 34 | 34 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 35 | 35 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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