Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HJR135 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
	1	+	88R19451 SRA-F
1	2		By: Thompson of Harris, Craddick, Buckley, H.J.R. No. 135
2		-	Bonnen, et al.
	3	+	et al.
	4	+	Substitute the following for H.J.R. No. 135:
	5	+	By: Kuempel C.S.H.J.R. No. 135
3	6
4	7
5	8		A JOINT RESOLUTION
6	9		proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the
7	10		establishment of the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of
8	11		Texas and establishing the Mental Health and Brain Institute
9	12		Research Fund for the purposes of scientific research of all forms
10	13		of mental health and human brain disease and disorders.
11	14		BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	15		SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
13	16		adding Section 68 to read as follows:
14	17		Sec. 68. (a) The legislature shall establish the Mental
15	18		Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas to:
16	19		(1) award grants to institutions of learning, advanced
17	20		medical research facilities, public or private persons, and
18	21		collaborations in this state to provide funds for:
19	22		(A) research into the causes of, means of
20	23		prevention of, and the treatment, rehabilitation, protocols, and
21	24		cures for:
22	25		(i) mental health and human brain-related
23	26		diseases, syndromes, disorders, dysfunctions, and injuries;
24	27		(ii) developmental issues;
25	28		(iii) neurological health issues;
26	29		(iv) behavioral health issues; and
27	30		(v) substance use disorders and other
28	31		addictions;
29	32		(B) research into other issues affecting mental
30	33		health and the human brain, including issues that directly or
31	34		indirectly affect or are affected by mental health or the brain or
32	35		brain health, such as the gut microbiome, nutrition, the spinal
33	36		cord, or the nervous system;
34		-	(C) research into the prevalence of the use of
35		-	psychoactive and psychotropic medications by veterans in this
36		-	state, including any connection to increased rates of suicide among
37		-	veterans who take a psychoactive or psychotropic medication;
38		-	(D) facilities, equipment, supplies, salaries,
	37	+	(C) facilities, equipment, supplies, salaries,
39	38		benefits, and other costs related to brain research;
40		-	(E) research, including translational research,
	39	+	(D) research, including translational research,
41	40		to develop therapies, protocols, medical pharmaceuticals, or
42	41		procedures for the cure or substantial mitigation of all types of
43	42		brain diseases and disorders; and
44		-	(F) prevention programs and strategies to
	43	+	(E) prevention programs and strategies to
45	44		mitigate the incidence of detrimental health impacts on the brain;
46	45		(2) support institutions of learning and advanced
47	46		medical research facilities and collaborations in this state in all
48	47		stages of the process of:
49	48		(A) discovering the causes of all types of:
50	49		(i) mental and behavioral health issues;
51	50		(ii) human brain-related diseases,
52	51		syndromes, disorders, dysfunctions, and injuries;
53	52		(iii) developmental issues; and
54	53		(iv) neurological health issues;
55	54		(B) developing therapies, protocols, medical
56	55		pharmaceuticals, or procedures for the cure or substantial
57	56		mitigation of mental health and brain diseases and disorders from
58	57		laboratory research to clinical trials; and
59	58		(C) developing programs to address access to
60	59		advanced treatment of mental health and brain diseases or
61	60		disorders; and
62	61		(3) establish the appropriate standards and oversight
63	62		bodies to ensure the proper use of funding authorized under this
64	63		section for brain research and facilities development.
65	64		(b) The members of the governing body and any other
66	65		decision-making body of the Mental Health and Brain Research
67	66		Institute of Texas may serve six-year terms.
68	67		(c) The Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund is
69	68		established as a special fund in the state treasury outside the
70	69		general revenue fund to be administered by the institute.
71	70		(d) On January 1, 2024, the comptroller shall transfer $3
72	71		billion from the general revenue fund to the Mental Health and Brain
73	72		Institute Research Fund. The transfer made under this subsection
74	73		is not an appropriation of state tax revenues for the purposes of
75	74		Section 22, Article VIII, of this constitution. This subsection
76	75		expires January 1, 2025.
77	76		(e) The Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund
78	77		consists of:
79	78		(1) money transferred to the fund under this section;
80	79		(2) money appropriated, credited, or transferred to
81	80		the fund by the legislature;
82	81		(3) gifts and grants, including grants from the
83	82		federal government, and other donations received for the fund;
84	83		(4) patent, royalty, and license fees and other income
85	84		received under a contract entered into by the Mental Health and
86	85		Brain Research Institute of Texas; and
87	86		(5) investment earnings and interest earned on amounts
88	87		credited to the fund.
89	88		(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
90	89		constitution, the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of
91	90		Texas, as established by general law, may use money in the Mental
92	91		Health and Brain Institute Research Fund only for the purpose of
93	92		funding:
94	93		(1) grants in this state for mental health and brain
95	94		research, research facilities, and research opportunities in this
96	95		state to develop therapies, protocols, medical pharmaceuticals, or
97	96		procedures for the cure, substantial mitigation, or prevention of
98	97		brain diseases or disorders;
99	98		(2) grants for the prevention of mental and behavioral
100	99		health issues and substance use disorders and other addictions, and
101	100		brain disease and disorder prevention to mitigate the incidence of
102	101		all types of brain diseases or disorders in humans;
103	102		(3) the purchase, construction, or renovation,
104	103		subject to approval by the institute, of facilities by or on behalf
105	104		of a state agency or grant recipient; and
106	105		(4) the operation of the institute.
107	106		(g) Before the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of
108	107		Texas may award a grant under this section, the recipient of the
109	108		grant must have an amount of funds equal to one-half the amount of
110	109		the grant dedicated to the research that is the subject of the grant
111	110		request.
112	111		(h) The reasonable expenses of managing the fund's assets
113	112		shall be paid from the fund.
114	113		SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
115	114		submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2023.
116	115		The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
117	116		proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the creation
118	117		of the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas,
119	118		establishing the Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund to
120	119		provide funding for mental health and brain research in this state,
121	120		and transferring general revenue to that fund."