Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2481 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R23143 AMF-F
2	2	By: Garcia, Allison, Morales Shaw, Bowers, H.B. No. 2481
3	3	Price
4	4
5	5
6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	relating to a counseling and crisis management program for relative
9	9	or other designated caregivers and children in the managing
10	10	conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective
11	11	Services.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 264, Family Code, is
14	14	amended by adding Section 264.7553 to read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 264.7553. COUNSELING AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR
16	16	RELATIVE OR OTHER DESIGNATED CAREGIVER PLACEMENTS. (a) The
17	17	department shall facilitate access to a counseling and crisis
18	18	management program to provide mental and behavioral telehealth
19	19	services and mobile mental and behavioral health intervention
20	20	services to relative or other designated caregivers and children in
21	21	the managing conservatorship of the department who are placed with
22	22	relative or other designated caregivers.
23	23	(b) Mental and behavioral telehealth services provided
24	24	under this section must be:
25	25	(1) accessible electronically through the use of a
26	26	computer or telephone application; and
27	27	(2) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
28	28	(c) Mobile mental and behavioral health intervention
29	29	services provided under this section must be:
30	30	(1) deployed to the location of the child or the
31	31	relative or other designated caregiver requiring intervention
32	32	services; and
33	33	(2) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
34	34	(d) Services described by this section may only be provided
35	35	by:
36	36	(1) a licensed psychologist;
37	37	(2) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
38	38	defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code;
39	39	(3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
40	40	Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
41	41	(4) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by
42	42	Section 505.002, Occupations Code; or
43	43	(5) any similarly qualified mental health
44	44	professional as established by department rule.
45	45	(e) The department shall, to the extent possible, seek
46	46	reimbursement from the medical assistance program under Chapter 32,
47	47	Human Resources Code, or a health plan that provides health
48	48	coverage for services described by this section to relative or
49	49	other designated caregivers and children.
50	50	(f) The department may contract with an outside vendor to
51	51	provide services described by this section.
52	52	(g) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
53	53	implement this section.
54	54	SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
55	55	date of this Act, the commissioner of the Department of Family and
56	56	Protective Services shall adopt the rules necessary to implement
57	57	Section 264.7553, Family Code, as added by this Act.
58	58	(b) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall
59	59	begin providing the services required under Section 264.7553,
60	60	Family Code, as added by this Act, as follows:
61	61	(1) mental and behavioral telehealth services, not
62	62	later than January 1, 2024; and
63	63	(2) mobile mental and behavioral health intervention
64	64	services, not later than January 1, 2025.
65	65	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
66	66	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
67	67	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
68	68	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
69	69	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.