Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1521 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Zaffirini, ~~et al.~~ S.B. No. 1521
2		-	~~(Turner of Tarrant)~~
	1	+	By: Zaffirini, Blanco S.B. No. 1521
	2	+	Powell
3	3
4	4
5	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6		AN ACT
7	7		relating to creating a mental health task force to study mental
8	8		health services provided at institutions of higher education.
9	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10		SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
11	11		amended by adding Section 51.91931 to read as follows:
12	12		Sec. 51.91931. COLLABORATIVE TASK FORCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
13	13		MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. (a) In this section:
14	14		(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
15	15		Education Coordinating Board.
16	16		(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
17	17		assigned by Section 61.003.
18	18		(3) "Task force" means the Collaborative Task Force on
19	19		Higher Education Mental Health Services.
20	20		(b) The Collaborative Task Force on Higher Education Mental
21	21		Health Services is established to study and evaluate mental health
22	22		services provided at institutions of higher education directly to
23	23		students enrolled at the institution. The task force shall:
24	24		(1) research the capacity of institutions of higher
25	25		education to identify and address the mental health needs of
26	26		students, including for each institution:
27	27		(A) performing an equity analysis of the
28	28		provision of services at the institution, including analyzing the
29	29		number of mental health providers on campus, the length of time a
30	30		student must wait for an appointment, partner referrals, length of
31	31		treatment, and the types of services provided;
32	32		(B) the mental health provider-to-student
33	33		ratios;
34	34		(C) the number of community partnerships and
35	35		referrals for inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment;
36	36		(D) the total amount of funds and the total
37	37		amount of funds as a percentage of the institution's budget
38	38		allocated to direct mental health support services;
39	39		(E) campus-wide needs assessment of mental
40	40		health climate and student experiences accessing mental health
41	41		care; and
42	42		(F) staff and faculty mental health training
43	43		opportunities, such as mental health first aid and suicide
44	44		prevention initiatives, as well as staff and faculty opportunities
45	45		to receive mental health care;
46	46		(2) identify institutional, environmental, and social
47	47		barriers that directly impact student mental health and well-being;
48	48		and
49	49		(3) explore innovative and effective approaches to
50	50		meeting the mental health needs of students, with specific focus on
51	51		first generation college students, students of color, economically
52	52		disadvantaged students, students who are parents, students of
53	53		various sexual orientations, survivors of sexual assault, students
54	54		who are immigrants, students who are or were previously in the
55	55		conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective
56	56		Services, and students from rural communities, including:
57	57		(A) stigma reduction and awareness initiatives;
58	58		(B) peer support initiatives;
59	59		(C) action plans based on campus assessment;
60	60		(D) recruiting and retaining counseling staff of
61	61		color;
62	62		(E) telehealth accessibility and expansion; and
63	63		(F) addressing trauma and cultivating
64	64		resiliency.
65	65		(c) The task force is composed of:
66	66		(1) the commissioner of higher education or the
67	67		commissioner's designee;
68	68		(2) the following additional members appointed by the
69	69		commissioner of higher education:
70	70		(A) three students who are enrolled at an
71	71		institution of higher education in this state, at least one of whom
72	72		is enrolled in a certificate program or a junior college;
73	73		(B) two persons who provide mental health
74	74		services at an institution of higher education and who are:
75	75		(i) a psychologist, as defined by Section
76	76		501.002, Occupations Code;
77	77		(ii) a licensed professional counselor, as
78	78		defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code; or
79	79		(iii) a licensed clinical social worker, as
80	80		defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
81	81		(C) one person who is a psychiatrist;
82	82		(D) two persons who are higher education
83	83		administrators and who oversee the provision of mental health
84	84		services at an institution of higher education;
85	85		(E) one person who is a member of a foundation
86	86		that invests in mental health services provided at institutions of
87	87		higher education;
88	88		(F) one person who is an employee of an
89	89		institution of higher education designated under Subsection (k) or
90	90		(l); and
91	91		(G) three people who are employees of nonprofit
92	92		organizations that specialize in mental health for young adults or
93	93		college students; and
94	94		(3) for any other entity the task force considers
95	95		necessary, one person appointed by the task force for each such
96	96		entity.
97	97		(d) Persons appointed to serve on the task force shall be
98	98		selected to represent the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic
99	99		diversity of this state.
100	100		(e) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
101	101		task force.
102	102		(f) The commissioner of higher education is designated as
103	103		the interim presiding officer for purposes of calling and
104	104		conducting the initial meeting of the task force.
105	105		(g) The task force:
106	106		(1) shall at its initial meeting select a presiding
107	107		officer from among its members for the purpose of calling and
108	108		conducting meetings; and
109	109		(2) may select an assistant presiding officer and a
110	110		secretary from among its members.
111	111		(h) A member of the task force may not receive compensation
112	112		or reimbursement for service on the task force.
113	113		(i) After its initial meeting, the task force shall meet at
114	114		least twice each year at a time and place determined by the
115	115		presiding officer. The task force may meet at other times the task
116	116		force considers appropriate. The presiding officer may call a
117	117		meeting on the presiding officer's own motion.
118	118		(j) The task force may meet by teleconference.
119	119		(k) The commissioner of higher education shall designate
120	120		one institution of higher education with experience in evaluating
121	121		mental health services to serve as the lead institution for the task
122	122		force. The institution designated under this subsection shall
123	123		provide faculty, staff, and administrative support services to the
124	124		task force as determined necessary by the task force.
125	125		(l) The commissioner of higher education shall designate
126	126		two institutions of higher education with experience in evaluating
127	127		mental health services to assist the task force and the lead
128	128		institution.
129	129		(m) In making a designation under Subsections (k) and (l),
130	130		the commissioner of higher education shall give preference to at
131	131		least one predominantly black institution, as defined by 20 U.S.C.
132	132		Section 1067q(c)(9).
133	133		(n) The coordinating board shall maintain the data
134	134		collected by the task force and the work product of the task force.
135	135		(o) The task force shall ensure that data gathered,
136	136		information studied, and evaluations conducted under this section:
137	137		(1) are collected and maintained in compliance with
138	138		federal law regarding confidentiality of student medical or
139	139		educational information, including the Health Insurance
140	140		Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d
141	141		et seq.) and any state law relating to the privacy of student or
142	142		health information; and
143	143		(2) may not be shared with a federal agency or state
144	144		agency, except as otherwise provided by law.
145	145		(p) The coordinating board may accept gifts, grants, or
146	146		donations on behalf of the task force to carry out the task force's
147	147		duties under this section.
148	148		(q) Not later than December 1, 2024, the task force shall
149	149		submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
150	150		house of representatives, and the coordinating board a report of
151	151		the results of the task force's activities conducted under this
152	152		section and any recommendations for legislative or other action.
153	153		(r) The task force is abolished and this section expires
154	154		September 1, 2025.
155	155		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.