| 1 | 1 | | 89R15896 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ward Johnson H.B. No. 5257 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to mental health first aid training for certain school |
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| 10 | 10 | | district volunteers. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Sections 22.904(a), (b), and (c), Education |
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| 13 | 13 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a school |
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| 15 | 15 | | district shall require each district employee or volunteer who |
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| 16 | 16 | | regularly interacts with students enrolled at the district to |
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| 17 | 17 | | complete an evidence-based mental health training program designed |
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| 18 | 18 | | to provide instruction to participants regarding the recognition |
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| 19 | 19 | | and support of children and youth who experience a mental health or |
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| 20 | 20 | | substance use issue that may pose a threat to school safety. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) A school district may not require a district employee or |
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| 22 | 22 | | volunteer who has previously completed mental health training |
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| 23 | 23 | | offered by a local mental health authority under Section 1001.203, |
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| 24 | 24 | | Health and Safety Code, to complete the training required by this |
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| 25 | 25 | | section. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) From funds appropriated for the purpose, the agency |
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| 27 | 27 | | shall provide an allotment to each school district to assist the |
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| 28 | 28 | | district in complying with this section. The amount of an allotment |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided to a school district under this subsection may not exceed |
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| 30 | 30 | | the costs incurred by the district for employees' or volunteers' |
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| 31 | 31 | | travel, training fees, and compensation for the time spent |
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| 32 | 32 | | completing the training required by this section. The agency may |
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| 33 | 33 | | proportionally reduce each district's allotment if the amount |
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| 34 | 34 | | appropriated is insufficient to pay for all costs incurred by |
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| 35 | 35 | | districts under this subsection. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. Section 1001.203(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 37 | 37 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (a) To the extent money is appropriated for the purpose, the |
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| 39 | 39 | | commission shall make grants to local mental health authorities or |
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| 40 | 40 | | local behavioral health authorities to provide at no cost an |
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| 41 | 41 | | approved mental health first aid training program administered by |
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| 42 | 42 | | mental health first aid trainers to the following individuals at |
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| 43 | 43 | | the discretion of the authorities: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) school district employees and school resource |
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| 45 | 45 | | officers; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) employees of: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (A) an institution of higher education; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (B) an open-enrollment charter school; or |
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| 49 | 49 | | (C) a private school; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (3) employees and contractors of a child-care |
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| 51 | 51 | | facility; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (4) youth; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (5) individuals with direct and recurring contact with |
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| 54 | 54 | | students, including school district volunteers; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (6) first responders; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (7) military service members, veterans, or immediate |
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| 57 | 57 | | family members of military service members or veterans; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (8) judges and attorneys, as applicable based on the |
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| 59 | 59 | | practice of law of the judge or attorney; or |
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| 60 | 60 | | (9) contractors of an institution of higher education, |
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| 61 | 61 | | an open-enrollment charter school, a private school, or a school |
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| 62 | 62 | | district. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2026, each school |
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| 64 | 64 | | district shall ensure that each district volunteer described by |
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| 65 | 65 | | Section 22.904, Education Code, as amended by this Act, has |
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| 66 | 66 | | completed an evidence-based mental health first aid training |
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| 67 | 67 | | program as required by that section. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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