Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1904 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Gamez H.B. No. 1904
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the establishment of a border county mental health task
7	7	force.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Chapter 533, Health and Safety Code, is amended
10	10	by adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
11	11	SUBCHAPTER F. BORDER COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE
12	12	Sec. 533.151. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "task force"
13	13	means the Border County Mental Health Task Force established under
14	14	this subchapter.
15	15	Sec. 533.152. SUNSET PROVISION. The task force is subject
16	16	to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless
17	17	continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the task force
18	18	is abolished and this subchapter expires September 1, 2035.
19	19	Sec. 533.153. TASK FORCE; DUTIES. (a) The department shall
20	20	establish the task force to advise the commissioner regarding the
21	21	mental and behavioral health problems, conditions, challenges, and
22	22	needs of the population of a county that:
23	23	(1) is adjacent to the international border with
24	24	Mexico; and
25	25	(2) has a population of less than 500,000 and more than
26	26	400,000.
27	27	(b) The task force shall advise the commissioner on:
28	28	(1) policy priorities addressing major issues
29	29	affecting the mental and behavioral health of county residents;
30	30	(2) raising public awareness of the issues described
31	31	by Subdivision (1); and
32	32	(3) other mental and behavioral health issues
33	33	affecting county residents, as determined by the commissioner,
34	34	including:
35	35	(A) barriers to accessing mental and behavioral
36	36	health care;
37	37	(B) mental and behavioral health problems,
38	38	including, but not limited to:
39	39	(i) suicide;
40	40	(ii) depression;
41	41	(iii) eating disorders;
42	42	(iv) substance abuse;
43	43	(v) schizophrenia; and
44	44	(vi) bipolar disorder;
45	45	(C) factors that impede access to mental and
46	46	behavioral health care, including:
47	47	(i) socioeconomic conditions;
48	48	(ii) linguistic and cultural barriers;
49	49	(iii) low population density; and
50	50	(iv) lack of health insurance;
51	51	(D) surveillance and tracking of factors that
52	52	negatively affect the residents' mental and behavioral health;
53	53	(E) standardization of information collection
54	54	procedures to ensure the compatibility of data collected on both
55	55	sides of the international border with Mexico;
56	56	(F) identifying best practices and
57	57	standardization of first responder and law enforcement response to
58	58	individuals suffering mental health crisis;
59	59	(G) mental and behavioral health infrastructure
60	60	that includes the establishment of:
61	61	(i) education and research institutions to
62	62	train culturally competent mental and behavioral health care
63	63	providers; and
64	64	(ii) local and regional mental and
65	65	behavioral health programs that build on local resources and
66	66	maximize the use of public money to address the needs of indigent
67	67	populations; and
68	68	(H) consult, collaboration, and cooperation at
69	69	with any:
70	70	(i) other health and human services
71	71	agencies;
72	72	(ii) other appropriate state or federal
73	73	agencies;
74	74	(iii) health science centers and medical
75	75	schools; and
76	76	(iv) public and private health care
77	77	providers and hospitals.
78	78	(v) Mexican counterparts of the task force;
79	79	or
80	80	(vi) federal counterparts of the task force
81	81	operating in the United States.
82	82	Sec. 533.154. COLLABORATION WITH OFFICE OF BORDER HEALTH.
83	83	The Office of Border Health established under Section 12.071 shall
84	84	provide:
85	85	(1) staff support to the task force; and
86	86	(2) to the extent practicable, any other assistance
87	87	required by the task force.
88	88	Sec. 533.155. COMPOSITION; TERMS. (a) The task force is
89	89	composed of:
90	90	(1) one member appointed by the commissioner who is a
91	91	first responder or emergency personnel in the county to which this
92	92	task force applies with experience treating patients experiencing
93	93	mental and behavioral health problems;
94	94	(2) two ex officio nonvoting members who are members
95	95	of the legislature:
96	96	(A) one of whom is appointed by the lieutenant
97	97	governor; and
98	98	(B) one of whom is appointed by the speaker of the
99	99	house of representatives; and
100	100	(3) additional voting members appointed by the
101	101	commissioner from the county to which this task force applies
102	102	including but not limited to representatives from:
103	103	(A) hospitals;
104	104	(B) community health centers;
105	105	(C) the local mental health authority;
106	106	(D) the county health administration;
107	107	(E) a judge with experience in mental health
108	108	diversion proceedings; and
109	109	(F) the district attorney's office.
110	110	(b) The commissioner shall designate a chair and vice chair
111	111	of the task force from among the task force members.
112	112	(c) The members appointed by the lieutenant governor and the
113	113	speaker of the house of representatives serve three-year terms. The
114	114	remaining members of the task force serve at the pleasure of the
115	115	commissioner.
116	116	Sec. 533.156. MEETINGS. (a) The task force shall meet at
117	117	least quarterly each fiscal year. Members may hold meetings by
118	118	conference calls and through videoconference in accordance with
119	119	Section 551.127, Government Code.
120	120	(b) Section 551.125, Government Code, applies to a meeting
121	121	held by conference call under this section, except that Subsection
122	122	(b) of that section does not apply.
123	123	Sec. 533.157. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A task force
124	124	member is not entitled to compensation or reimbursement for
125	125	expenses incurred in performing the member's duties.
126	126	Sec. 533.158. SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM BORDER COUNTY MENTAL
127	127	HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLANS: TASK FORCE, COMMISSIONER, AND EXECUTIVE
128	128	COMMISSIONER DUTIES. (a) The task force shall make
129	129	recommendations to the commissioner for short-term and long-term
130	130	border county mental health improvement plans. The short-term plan
131	131	shall identify mental and behavioral health objectives proposed to
132	132	be accomplished not later than the fourth anniversary of the date
133	133	the plan is adopted. The long-term plan shall identify mental and
134	134	behavioral health objectives proposed to be accomplished not later
135	135	than the ninth anniversary of the date the plan is adopted.
136	136	(b) The commissioner shall review the task force's
137	137	recommendations and, based on those recommendations, recommend
138	138	short-term and long-term border county mental health improvement
139	139	plans to the executive commissioner, identifying specific mental
140	140	and behavioral health objectives that may be implemented under
141	141	existing law in counties located along the international border
142	142	with Mexico.
143	143	(c) The executive commissioner shall adopt short-term and
144	144	long-term border county mental health improvement plans and direct
145	145	the department to implement the portions of the plans that may be
146	146	implemented within existing appropriations and under existing law
147	147	in counties located along the international border with Mexico.
148	148	Sec. 533.159. APPLICATION OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110,
149	149	Government Code, does not apply to the task force.
150	150	Sec. 533.160. ASSISTANCE FROM STATE AGENCIES AND POLITICAL
151	151	SUBDIVISIONS. At the request of the task force, a state agency or
152	152	political subdivision of this state may cooperate with the task
153	153	force in implementing the task force's statutory duties.
154	154	Sec. 533.161. REPORTS. (a) Not later than September 1 of
155	155	each even-numbered year, the task force shall submit to the
156	156	commissioner a report of the task force's recommendations,
157	157	including recommendations under Section 533.158 relating to
158	158	short-term and long-term border county mental health improvement
159	159	plans.
160	160	(b) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
161	161	the executive commissioner shall submit to the legislature a report
162	162	detailing the actions taken by the task force. The report must
163	163	include:
164	164	(1) the status of all projects and activities
165	165	involving the mental and behavioral health issues described under
166	166	Section 533.153(b)(3);
167	167	(2) the funding for the expenditures; and
168	168	(3) recommendations for legislation necessary to
169	169	implement the short-term and long-term border county mental health
170	170	improvement plans.
171	171	SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2023, the commissioner
172	172	of the Department of State Health Services, lieutenant governor,
173	173	and speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the
174	174	members of the Border County Mental Health Task Force established
175	175	under Subchapter F, Chapter 533, Health and Safety Code, as added by
176	176	this Act.
177	177	SECTION 3. The initial short-term mental health improvement
178	178	plan adopted under Section 533.158, Health and Safety Code, as
179	179	added by this Act, must include a mental health improvement plan for
180	180	implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2024. The
181	181	Department of State Health Services shall implement the initiatives
182	182	in the short-term mental health improvement plan, as directed by
183	183	the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services
184	184	Commission, not later than September 1, 2028.
185	185	SECTION 4. The initial long-term mental health improvement
186	186	plan adopted under Section 533.158, Health and Safety Code, as
187	187	added by this Act, must include a mental health improvement plan for
188	188	implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2026. The
189	189	Department of State Health Services shall implement the initiatives
190	190	in the long-term mental health improvement plan, as directed by the
191	191	executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission,
192	192	not later than September 1, 2033.
193	193	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
194	194	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
195	195	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
196	196	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
197	197	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.