| 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 study by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement on |
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| 8 | 8 | | mental health services provided to peace officers in this state. |
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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 D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 1701.165 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 1701.165. STUDY ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR PEACE |
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| 13 | 13 | | OFFICERS. (a) The commission shall study the provision, |
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| 14 | 14 | | availability, and accessibility of mental health services for peace |
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| 15 | 15 | | officers. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) In studying the mental health services, the commission |
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| 17 | 17 | | shall collect information from: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) law enforcement agencies in this state regarding |
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| 19 | 19 | | any mental health programs provided by the agencies, and to the |
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| 20 | 20 | | extent available, the use of mental health services by the peace |
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| 21 | 21 | | officers of the agencies; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) the governor's office regarding the office's |
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| 23 | 23 | | implementation of the grant programs under Sections 772.0073 and |
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| 24 | 24 | | 772.0074, Government Code, and the impact of those programs. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2022, the commission shall |
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| 26 | 26 | | submit a written report to the legislature with recommendations on: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) increasing the effectiveness and availability of |
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| 28 | 28 | | mental health services for peace officers; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) establishing a mental health program, including a |
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| 30 | 30 | | peer mentoring program, within a state agency or political |
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| 31 | 31 | | subdivision that employs peace officers to improve access to mental |
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| 32 | 32 | | health services for the peace officers; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) developing sources of funding for programs that |
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| 34 | 34 | | provide peace officers with access to effective mental health |
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| 35 | 35 | | services; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (4) any other related issue the commission considers |
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| 37 | 37 | | appropriate. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (d) This section expires January 1, 2023. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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