| 1 | 1 | | 88R11908 MPF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Wilson H.B. No. 5196 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on mental health services provided to veterans |
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| 8 | 8 | | through the Texas Veterans Commission. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section, the "commission" means the |
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| 11 | 11 | | Texas Veterans Commission. |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) The commission shall conduct a study to evaluate |
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| 13 | 13 | | strategies to improve and expand mental health services provided |
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| 14 | 14 | | through the commission's Military Veteran Peer Network. The study |
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| 15 | 15 | | must include recommendations on expanding the number of certified |
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| 16 | 16 | | peer service coordinators who provide mental health services to |
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| 17 | 17 | | service members, veterans, and family members of service members or |
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| 18 | 18 | | veterans. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) The study required by this section must focus on the |
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| 20 | 20 | | provision of certified peer service coordinators in rural |
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| 21 | 21 | | communities in this state. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (d) Not later than December 1, 2024, the commission shall |
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| 23 | 23 | | prepare and submit a report to the legislature containing the |
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| 24 | 24 | | findings of the study and any recommendations for legislative or |
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| 25 | 25 | | other action. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. This Act expires September 1, 2025. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 28 | 28 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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