87R2875 JG-D
By: White H.B. No. 898
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an interagency grant program to support and sustain the
operations of community recovery organizations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 53 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 53. COMMUNITY RECOVERY ORGANIZATION GRANT PROGRAM
Sec. 53.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Community recovery organization" means a
nonprofit organization that:
(A) mobilizes resources inside and outside of a
local community to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term
recovery for individuals with a substance use or mental health
condition and their affected family members;
(B) is governed by members of the local
community:
(i) at least 51 percent of whom identify as
an individual recovering from a substance use or mental health
condition; and
(ii) the remainder of whom identify as an
affected family member of an individual recovering from a substance
use or mental health condition; and
(C) aligns with applicable national best
practices recognized by the commission.
(2) "Grant program" means the community recovery
organization grant program established under this chapter.
Sec. 53.002. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF GRANT
PROGRAM. (a) The community recovery organization grant program is
established as an interagency grant program to provide grants to
community recovery organizations to support and sustain the
operations of the organizations.
(b) The commission shall serve as the administrator of the
grant program. The grant program consists of the following
additional state agencies:
(1) the department;
(2) the Department of Family and Protective Services;
(3) the Texas Education Agency;
(4) the Department of Agriculture;
(5) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs;
(6) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
(7) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department;
(8) the Texas Veterans Commission; and
(9) the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
(c) The commission may provide a grant to a community
recovery organization only in accordance with a contract between
the commission and the community recovery organization. The
contract must include provisions under which the commission is
granted sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of
substance use or mental health recovery is accomplished and the
state receives the return benefit.
Sec. 53.003. FUNDING. (a) Not later than September 1 of
each even-numbered year, the commission and each state agency
listed under Section 53.002(b) shall identify available resources
under the agency's control that may be used to fund and provide
grants to community recovery organizations under the grant program.
(b) In addition to the resources identified under
Subsection (a) and any money appropriated by the legislature for
the grant program, the commission may solicit and accept gifts,
grants, or donations from any source to administer and provide
grants to community recovery organizations under the grant program.
Sec. 53.004. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. The executive
commissioner of the commission and the executive head of each state
agency listed under Section 53.002(b) with rulemaking authority
each by rule shall adopt a memorandum of understanding that defines
the commission's and each other agency's responsibilities with
respect to administering and operating the grant program.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission and the executive head of each state agency
listed under Section 53.002(b), Health and Safety Code, as added by
this Act, with rulemaking authority by rule shall adopt the
memorandum of understanding required by Section 53.004, Health and
Safety Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.