Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2233 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R25069 KKR-F
2	2	By: Spiller, Garcia, Howard, et al. H.B. No. 2233
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to required mental health awareness training for first
8	8	responders.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Chapter 786 to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 786. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING
13	13	FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
14	14	Sec. 786.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
15	15	(1) "Extension service" means the Texas A&M
16	16	Engineering Extension Service.
17	17	(2) "First responder" means a public safety employee
18	18	whose duties include responding rapidly to an emergency. The term
19	19	includes:
20	20	(A) a peace officer whose duties include
21	21	responding rapidly to an emergency;
22	22	(B) fire protection personnel as defined by
23	23	Section 419.021, Government Code;
24	24	(C) an individual certified as emergency medical
25	25	services personnel by the Department of State Health Services;
26	26	(D) an emergency response operator or emergency
27	27	services dispatcher who provides communication support services
28	28	for an agency by responding to requests for assistance in
29	29	emergencies, including a telecommunicator as defined by Section
30	30	1701.001, Occupations Code; and
31	31	(E) other emergency response personnel employed
32	32	by a state agency.
33	33	(3) "First responder training program" means a program
34	34	that provides training required for certification or licensure as a
35	35	first responder, including the training required under:
36	36	(A) Chapter 773;
37	37	(B) Chapter 419, Government Code; and
38	38	(C) Chapter 1701, Occupations Code.
39	39	Sec. 786.002. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING REQUIRED.
40	40	(a) A person who provides to first responders and first responder
41	41	trainees a first responder training program shall:
42	42	(1) include as part of the program at least six hours
43	43	of training on mental health awareness that covers:
44	44	(A) the most common mental health issues
45	45	experienced by first responders;
46	46	(B) the impact of chronic trauma on a first
47	47	responder's duties;
48	48	(C) signs and symptoms of mental illness; and
49	49	(D) strategies for first responders to attain
50	50	mental wellness and resiliency; and
51	51	(2) require first responders and first responder
52	52	trainees to successfully complete the training described by
53	53	Subdivision (1) as part of the training program.
54	54	(b) In providing the training described by Subsection (a), a
55	55	person who provides a first responder training program must use a
56	56	mental health awareness training curriculum developed or adopted
57	57	under Section 786.003.
58	58	Sec. 786.003. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING CURRICULUM.
59	59	(a) The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service shall develop or
60	60	adopt a curriculum for the first responder mental health awareness
61	61	training required by Section 786.002. In developing or adopting
62	62	the curriculum, the extension service shall collaborate with state
63	63	agencies that certify or license first responders, including the
64	64	Texas Commission on Fire Protection, the Texas Commission on Law
65	65	Enforcement, and the Department of State Health Services.
66	66	(b) Each state agency that certifies or licenses first
67	67	responders shall ensure that the applicable first responder
68	68	training program required for certification or licensure as a first
69	69	responder uses the mental health awareness training curriculum
70	70	developed or adopted by the extension service under this section.
71	71	SECTION 2. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended
72	72	by adding Subsection (q) to read as follows:
73	73	(q) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the
74	74	commission shall require an officer to complete the mental health
75	75	awareness training curriculum developed or adopted by the Texas A&M
76	76	Engineering Extension Service under Section 786.003, Health and
77	77	Safety Code.
78	78	SECTION 3. Section 1701.3071, Occupations Code, is amended
79	79	by adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows:
80	80	(a-2) The training required by Subsection (a)(2) must
81	81	include the mental health awareness training curriculum developed
82	82	or adopted by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service under
83	83	Section 786.003, Health and Safety Code.
84	84	SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
85	85	of this Act:
86	86	(1) the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service shall
87	87	develop or adopt the first responder mental health awareness
88	88	training curriculum required by Section 786.003, Health and Safety
89	89	Code, as added by this Act; and
90	90	(2) each state agency that certifies or licenses first
91	91	responders subject to Chapter 786, Health and Safety Code, as added
92	92	by this Act, shall ensure that:
93	93	(A) each first responder training program
94	94	subject to the chapter includes the mental health awareness
95	95	training and curriculum required by that chapter; and
96	96	(B) each first responder and first responder
97	97	trainee subject to the chapter completes the required training.
98	98	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.