Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB992 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R5170 SOS-F
2	2	By: Powell S.B. No. 992
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a collaborative task force to
8	8	study certain public school mental health services.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter F to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER F. COLLABORATIVE TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC SCHOOL MENTAL
13	13	HEALTH SERVICES
14	14	Sec. 38.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	15	(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
16	16	assigned by Section 61.003.
17	17	(2) "Task force" means the Collaborative Task Force on
18	18	Public School Mental Health Services.
19	19	Sec. 38.302. ESTABLISHMENT. The Collaborative Task Force
20	20	on Public School Mental Health Services is established to study and
21	21	evaluate:
22	22	(1) mental health services that are funded by
23	23	competitive state grants and provided at a school district or
24	24	open-enrollment charter school directly to:
25	25	(A) a student enrolled in the district or school;
26	26	(B) a parent or family member of or person
27	27	standing in parental relation to a student enrolled in the district
28	28	or school; or
29	29	(C) an employee of the district or school; and
30	30	(2) training provided to an educator employed by the
31	31	district or school to provide the mental health services described
32	32	by Subdivision (1).
33	33	Sec. 38.303. MEMBERSHIP. (a) The task force is composed
34	34	of:
35	35	(1) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee;
36	36	and
37	37	(2) six additional members appointed by the
38	38	commissioner as follows:
39	39	(A) one parent of a student who is enrolled in a
40	40	school district or open-enrollment charter school and receives the
41	41	mental health services described by Section 38.302(1);
42	42	(B) one person who provides the mental health
43	43	services described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described
44	44	by Section 38.302(2) and who is:
45	45	(i) a licensed specialist in school
46	46	psychology, as defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code;
47	47	(ii) a licensed professional counselor, as
48	48	defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
49	49	(iii) a licensed clinical social worker, as
50	50	defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code; or
51	51	(iv) a school counselor certified under
52	52	Subchapter B, Chapter 21;
53	53	(C) one person who is an administrator of a
54	54	district or school that provides the mental health services
55	55	described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described by Section
56	56	38.302(2);
57	57	(D) one person who is a member of a foundation
58	58	that invests in the mental health services described by Section
59	59	38.302(1) or the training described by Section 38.302(2); and
60	60	(E) two persons, each of whom is an employee of an
61	61	institution of higher education designated under Section 38.307.
62	62	(b) Appointments to the task force shall be made without
63	63	regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or
64	64	national origin of the appointee.
65	65	(c) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
66	66	task force.
67	67	Sec. 38.304. OFFICERS. (a) The commissioner is designated
68	68	as the interim presiding officer for purposes of calling and
69	69	conducting the initial meeting of the task force.
70	70	(b) The task force:
71	71	(1) shall at its initial meeting select a presiding
72	72	officer from among its members for the purpose of calling and
73	73	conducting meetings; and
74	74	(2) may select an assistant presiding officer and a
75	75	secretary from among its members.
76	76	Sec. 38.305. COMPENSATION; REIMBURSEMENT. A member of the
77	77	task force may not receive compensation or reimbursement for
78	78	service on the task force.
79	79	Sec. 38.306. MEETINGS. (a) After its initial meeting, the
80	80	task force shall meet at least twice each year at a time and place
81	81	determined by the presiding officer.
82	82	(b) The task force may meet at other times the task force
83	83	considers appropriate. The presiding officer may call a meeting on
84	84	the officer's own motion.
85	85	(c) The task force may meet by teleconference.
86	86	Sec. 38.307. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR TASK FORCE. (a) The
87	87	commissioner shall designate one institution of higher education
88	88	with experience in evaluating mental health services to serve as
89	89	the lead institution for the task force. The institution
90	90	designated under this subsection shall provide faculty, staff, and
91	91	administrative support services to the task force as determined
92	92	necessary by the task force to administer this subchapter.
93	93	(b) The commissioner shall designate two institutions of
94	94	higher education with experience in evaluating mental health
95	95	services to assist the task force and the lead institution
96	96	designated under Subsection (a) as determined necessary by the task
97	97	force to administer this subchapter.
98	98	(c) In making a designation under this section, the
99	99	commissioner shall give preference to at least one predominantly
100	100	black institution, as defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 1067q(c)(9).
101	101	(d) On request of the task force, the agency, a school
102	102	district, or an open-enrollment charter school shall provide
103	103	information or other assistance to the task force.
104	104	Sec. 38.308. DUTIES OF TASK FORCE. (a) The task force
105	105	shall:
106	106	(1) gather data on the race, ethnicity, gender,
107	107	special education status, and geographic location of individuals
108	108	who are provided the mental health services described by Section
109	109	38.302(1); and
110	110	(2) study, evaluate, and make recommendations
111	111	regarding the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1)
112	112	and the training described by Section 38.302(2), including
113	113	addressing:
114	114	(A) the outcomes and the effectiveness of the
115	115	services and training provided, including the outcomes and
116	116	effectiveness of the service and training providers and the
117	117	programs under which services and training are provided, in:
118	118	(i) improving student academic achievement
119	119	and attendance;
120	120	(ii) reducing student disciplinary
121	121	proceedings, suspensions, placements in a disciplinary alternative
122	122	education program, and expulsions;
123	123	(iii) providing early mental health
124	124	prevention and intervention;
125	125	(iv) building skills relating to managing
126	126	emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and
127	127	making responsible decisions;
128	128	(v) preventing substance abuse;
129	129	(vi) preventing suicides;
130	130	(vii) adhering to the purpose of the
131	131	relevant program services or training;
132	132	(viii) promoting trauma-informed
133	133	practices; and
134	134	(ix) promoting a positive school climate,
135	135	including improving safety in the district or school;
136	136	(B) best practices for districts and schools in
137	137	providing the services or training; and
138	138	(C) disparities in the race, ethnicity, gender,
139	139	special education status, and geographic location of individuals
140	140	receiving the services.
141	141	(b) The task force may evaluate mental health services
142	142	funded from a source other than a competitive grant that are
143	143	provided to students enrolled in a school district or
144	144	open-enrollment charter school.
145	145	Sec. 38.309. REPORTS. Not later than November 1 of each
146	146	even-numbered year, the task force shall submit to the governor,
147	147	the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
148	148	representatives a report of the results of the task force's
149	149	activities conducted under Section 38.308 and any recommendations
150	150	for legislative or other action.
151	151	Sec. 38.310. GIFTS AND GRANTS; ADMINISTRATIVE COST
152	152	RESTRICTION. (a) The task force may accept a gift or grant from a
153	153	private individual, a foundation, or the federal government.
154	154	(b) The task force may not spend for the administration of
155	155	the task force more than 10 percent of any money appropriated to the
156	156	task force for the purpose of this subchapter.
157	157	Sec. 38.311. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and
158	158	this subchapter expires December 1, 2022.
159	159	SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2019, the commissioner
160	160	of education shall:
161	161	(1) appoint the members of the Collaborative Task
162	162	Force on Public School Mental Health Services, as required by
163	163	Section 38.303, Education Code, as added by this Act; and
164	164	(2) designate the institutions of higher education to
165	165	provide support services, as required by Section 38.307, Education
166	166	Code, as added by this Act.
167	167	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
168	168	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
169	169	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
170	170	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
171	171	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.