Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HJR24 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R242 MPF-F
2	2	By: Thompson H.J.R. No. 24
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7	7	A JOINT RESOLUTION
8	8	proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the
9	9	establishment of the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of
10	10	Texas and the Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund to
11	11	provide funding for scientific research of mental health issues and
12	12	human brain diseases and disorders.
13	13	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
15	15	adding Section 68 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 68. (a) The legislature shall establish the Mental
17	17	Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas to:
18	18	(1) award grants to institutions of learning, advanced
19	19	medical research facilities, public or private persons, and
20	20	collaborations in this state to provide funds for:
21	21	(A) research into the causes of, the means of
22	22	prevention of, the treatment and rehabilitation of, and cures for:
23	23	(i) mental health issues and human
24	24	brain-related diseases, syndromes, disorders, dysfunctions, and
25	25	injuries;
26	26	(ii) developmental issues;
27	27	(iii) neurological health issues;
28	28	(iv) behavioral health issues; and
29	29	(v) substance use disorders and other
30	30	addictions;
31	31	(B) research into other issues affecting mental
32	32	health and the human brain, including issues that directly or
33	33	indirectly affect or are affected by mental health or the brain or
34	34	brain health, such as the gut microbiome, nutrition, the spinal
35	35	cord, or the nervous system;
36	36	(C) research, including translational research,
37	37	to develop therapies, protocols, medical pharmaceuticals, or
38	38	procedures for the cure or substantial mitigation of all types of
39	39	human brain-related diseases and disorders;
40	40	(D) facilities, equipment, supplies, salaries,
41	41	benefits, and other costs related to the research described by this
42	42	section; and
43	43	(E) prevention programs and strategies to
44	44	mitigate the incidence of detrimental health impacts on the brain;
45	45	(2) support institutions of learning, advanced
46	46	medical research facilities, public and private persons, and
47	47	collaborations in this state in all stages of the process of:
48	48	(A) discovering the causes of all types of:
49	49	(i) mental and behavioral health issues;
50	50	(ii) human brain-related diseases,
51	51	syndromes, disorders, dysfunctions, and injuries;
52	52	(iii) developmental issues; and
53	53	(iv) neurological health issues;
54	54	(B) developing therapies, protocols, medical
55	55	pharmaceuticals, or procedures for the cure or substantial
56	56	mitigation of mental health issues and brain-related diseases and
57	57	disorders from laboratory research to clinical trials; and
58	58	(C) developing programs to address access to
59	59	advanced treatment of mental health issues and brain-related
60	60	diseases or disorders; and
61	61	(3) establish appropriate standards and oversight
62	62	bodies to ensure the proper use of funding authorized under this
63	63	section for brain research, including facilities development.
64	64	(b) The members of the governing body and any other
65	65	decision-making body of the Mental Health and Brain Research
66	66	Institute of Texas may serve six-year terms.
67	67	(c) The Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund is
68	68	established as a special fund in the state treasury outside the
69	69	general revenue fund to be administered by the Mental Health and
70	70	Brain Research Institute of Texas.
71	71	(c-1) On January 1, 2026, the comptroller shall transfer $3
72	72	billion from the general revenue fund to the Mental Health and Brain
73	73	Institute Research Fund. The transfer made under this subsection
74	74	is not an appropriation of state tax revenues for the purposes of
75	75	Section 22, Article VIII, of this constitution. This subsection
76	76	expires January 1, 2029.
77	77	(d) The Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund
78	78	consists of:
79	79	(1) money transferred to the fund under this section;
80	80	(2) money the legislature appropriates, credits, or
81	81	transfers to the fund;
82	82	(3) gifts and grants, including grants from the
83	83	federal government, and other donations received for the fund;
84	84	(4) patent, royalty, and license fees and other income
85	85	received under a contract executed by the Mental Health and Brain
86	86	Research Institute of Texas; and
87	87	(5) investment earnings and interest earned on amounts
88	88	credited to the fund.
89	89	(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
90	90	constitution, the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of
91	91	Texas, as established by general law, may use money in the Mental
92	92	Health and Brain Institute Research Fund only for the purpose of
93	93	funding:
94	94	(1) grants for mental health and human brain research,
95	95	research facilities, and research opportunities in this state:
96	96	(A) for the prevention, treatment, and
97	97	rehabilitation of mental and behavioral health issues and substance
98	98	use disorders and other addictions, and the mitigation of the
99	99	incidence of detrimental health impacts of the issues, disorders,
100	100	and addictions on mental health or the brain; and
101	101	(B) to develop therapies, protocols, medical
102	102	pharmaceuticals, or procedures for the cure or substantial
103	103	mitigation of brain-related diseases or disorders;
104	104	(2) the purchase, construction, or renovation,
105	105	subject to the institute's approval, of facilities by or on behalf
106	106	of a state agency or grant recipient; and
107	107	(3) the operation of the institute.
108	108	(f) Before the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of
109	109	Texas may award a grant under this section, the recipient of the
110	110	grant must have an amount of funds equal to one-half of the grant
111	111	amount dedicated to the research specified in the grant request.
112	112	(g) The reasonable expenses of managing the assets of the
113	113	Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund shall be paid from
114	114	the fund.
115	115	SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
116	116	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.
117	117	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
118	118	proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the creation
119	119	of the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas,
120	120	establishing the Mental Health and Brain Institute Research Fund to
121	121	provide funding for mental health and brain research in this state,
122	122	and transferring state general revenue to that fund."