Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2487 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Parker S.B. No. 2487
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6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	relating to procedures for and certain facilities providing crisis
9	9	and mental health services.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 573, Health and Safety
12	12	Code, is amended by adding Section 573.020 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 573.020. INITIAL EXAMINATION. (a) A licensed mental
14	14	health professional shall immediately examine a person who arrives
15	15	at a facility if:
16	16	(1) an application for detention has been filed for
17	17	the person; or
18	18	(2) a peace officer or emergency medical services
19	19	personnel of an emergency medical services provider transporting
20	20	the person in accordance with a memorandum of understanding
21	21	executed under Section 573.005 files a notification of detention
22	22	completed by the peace officer under Section 573.002(a).
23	23	(b) The facility may detain the person if:
24	24	(1) the person has rejected voluntary mental health
25	25	services; and
26	26	(2) as a result of the initial examination conducted
27	27	under this section and materials provided for the application for
28	28	detention or notification of detention under Subsection (a)(1) or
29	29	(2), as applicable, the mental health professional has a reasonable
30	30	cause to believe and does believe that:
31	31	(A) the person is a person with mental illness;
32	32	and
33	33	(B) because of that mental illness there is a
34	34	substantial risk of serious harm to the person or to others unless
35	35	the person is immediately restrained.
36	36	SECTION 2. Sections 573.021(a) and (c), Health and Safety
37	37	Code, are amended to read as follows:
38	38	(a) Following an initial examination under Section 573.020,
39	39	a [A] facility shall temporarily accept a person for whom an
40	40	application for detention is filed or for whom a peace officer or
41	41	emergency medical services personnel of an emergency medical
42	42	services provider transporting the person in accordance with a
43	43	memorandum of understanding executed under Section 573.005 files a
44	44	notification of detention completed by the peace officer under
45	45	Section 573.002(a).
46	46	(c) A physician shall examine the person accepted for a
47	47	preliminary examination as soon as possible within 24 [12] hours
48	48	after the time the person is apprehended by the peace officer or
49	49	transported for emergency detention by the person's guardian.
50	50	SECTION 3. Section 573.023, Health and Safety Code, is
51	51	amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
52	52	read as follows:
53	53	(a) A person apprehended by a peace officer or transported
54	54	for emergency detention under Subchapter A or detained under
55	55	Subchapter B shall be released on completion of:
56	56	(1) the initial examination, unless the person is
57	57	detained under Section 573.020(b); or
58	58	(2) the preliminary examination, unless the person is
59	59	admitted to a facility under Section 573.022.
60	60	(a-1) On a person's release from a facility under Subsection
61	61	(a), the person must be provided information regarding available
62	62	outpatient or community-based mental health treatment services.
63	63	SECTION 4. Subtitle C, Title 7, Health and Safety Code, is
64	64	amended by adding Chapter 580 to read as follows:
65	65	CHAPTER 580. CRISIS SERVICE CENTERS
66	66	Sec. 580.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
67	67	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
68	68	Commission.
69	69	(2) "Continuum of care program" means a program by the
70	70	United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist
71	71	individuals experiencing homelessness and provide the services
72	72	needed to help those individuals move into transitional and
73	73	permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability.
74	74	Sec. 580.002. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to
75	75	a county with a population of more than 1.2 million.
76	76	Sec. 580.003. ESTABLISHMENT OF CRISIS SERVICE CENTERS. (a)
77	77	A county to which this chapter applies shall establish a crisis
78	78	service center to provide comprehensive crisis and mental health
79	79	services, including:
80	80	(1) crisis intervention and stabilization services 24
81	81	hours a day, seven days a week;
82	82	(2) short-term residential care;
83	83	(3) medical detoxification;
84	84	(4) care coordination services for individuals who
85	85	would benefit from ongoing treatment, housing, or other community
86	86	resources after being released from a crisis service center;
87	87	(5) specialized services for an individual
88	88	experiencing homelessness, consistent with an integrated continuum
89	89	of care system, including coordination with emergency shelters,
90	90	rapid re-housing programs, and permanent supportive housing units;
91	91	and
92	92	(6) as described by Subsection (d), crisis follow-up
93	93	services.
94	94	(b) A crisis service center shall employ licensed mental
95	95	health professionals, including individuals authorized to provide
96	96	mental health services to individuals transported to the center for
97	97	involuntary commitment under Chapters 573 and 574.
98	98	(c) A crisis service center shall ensure coordination with
99	99	law enforcement agencies to prioritize transporting individuals
100	100	experiencing a crisis to a crisis service center instead of a more
101	101	restrictive setting, as appropriate.
102	102	(d) Not later than 72 hours after the crisis service
103	103	center's initial intervention, the crisis service center shall
104	104	provide crisis follow-up services, which must include a
105	105	reassessment of risk, safety planning, and connecting the
106	106	individual to mental health and housing services.
107	107	(e) The commission shall provide assistance to a county to
108	108	establish and operate a crisis service center under this chapter.
109	109	(f) A county may coordinate with the Texas Facilities
110	110	Commission concerning land or facilities available for
111	111	establishing a crisis service center.
112	112	Sec. 580.004. HOMELESSNESS SERVICES COORDINATION. A county
113	113	shall ensure that an individual who contacts or receives treatment
114	114	from a crisis service center is provided access to ongoing care
115	115	through collaboration with homelessness service providers and a
116	116	continuum of care program. The collaboration must include:
117	117	(1) coordination with available housing services for
118	118	individuals after leaving the crisis service center's care;
119	119	(2) implementation of a coordinated intake process
120	120	enabling individuals experiencing homelessness to access
121	121	homelessness services and housing support through the crisis
122	122	service center; and
123	123	(3) case management and housing navigation assistance
124	124	services to connect and refer individuals experiencing
125	125	homelessness to available long-term support services.
126	126	Sec. 580.005. FUNDING. (a) The commission may solicit and
127	127	accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source to support
128	128	counties establishing and operating a crisis service center under
129	129	this chapter.
130	130	(b) To qualify for funding from the commission, a county
131	131	must submit a comprehensive plan for a crisis service center to the
132	132	commission describing how the crisis service center will meet the
133	133	requirements established under Sections 580.003 and 580.004.
134	134	Sec. 580.006. REPORTS. A county shall prepare and submit to
135	135	the commission and the Texas Department of Housing and Community
136	136	Affairs quarterly reports:
137	137	(1) covering the outcomes of individuals who received
138	138	services from a crisis service center in the county;
139	139	(2) providing information related to the results of
140	140	operating a crisis service center in the county, including any
141	141	reductions in homelessness or other county-wide effects;
142	142	(3) evaluating the provision of related services in
143	143	the county, including the stability of available housing services;
144	144	and
145	145	(4) detailing any recommendations for legislative or
146	146	other action.
147	147	Sec. 580.007. CRISIS SERVICE CENTER ADVISORY BOARD. (a)
148	148	The crisis service center advisory board is established to advise
149	149	the commission and counties and make recommendations regarding
150	150	implementing and operating a crisis service center under this
151	151	chapter.
152	152	(b) The advisory board is composed of the following
153	153	individuals appointed by the governor:
154	154	(1) mental health professionals;
155	155	(2) representatives of a homelessness service
156	156	provider;
157	157	(3) representatives of a law enforcement agency;
158	158	(4) county officials;
159	159	(5) representatives of a continuum of care program;
160	160	and
161	161	(6) representatives of the commission.
162	162	SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter
163	163	573, Health and Safety Code, apply to an emergency detention that
164	164	begins on or after the effective date of this Act. An emergency
165	165	detention that begins before the effective date of this Act is
166	166	governed by the law as it existed immediately before that date, and
167	167	that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
168	168	SECTION 6. (a) Not later than September 1, 2028, a county
169	169	to which Chapter 580, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act,
170	170	applies shall establish a crisis service center as required by
171	171	Section 580.003, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
172	172	(b) Not later than January 1, 2029, a county to which
173	173	Chapter 580, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, applies
174	174	shall provide the initial report required by Section 580.006,
175	175	Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
176	176	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.