| 1 | 1 | | 89R15497 EAS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 2555 |
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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 a first responder peer support network for certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | firefighters and law enforcement personnel. |
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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. Subtitle E, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Chapter 115 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | CHAPTER 115. FIRST RESPONDER PEER SUPPORT NETWORK |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 115.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) "Law enforcement officer" means a person |
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| 17 | 17 | | identified as a peace officer under Article 2A.001(1), (2), (3), or |
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| 18 | 18 | | (4), Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Peer" means a person who is: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) a firefighter or retired firefighter; or |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) a law enforcement officer or retired law |
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| 22 | 22 | | enforcement officer. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) "Peer support network" means the first responder |
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| 24 | 24 | | peer support network for firefighters and law enforcement officers |
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| 25 | 25 | | established under this chapter. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 115.002. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The Texas |
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| 27 | 27 | | Commission on Fire Protection and Texas Commission on Law |
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| 28 | 28 | | Enforcement shall jointly develop a first responder peer support |
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| 29 | 29 | | network for firefighters and law enforcement officers. The network |
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| 30 | 30 | | must include: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) peer-to-peer support; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) training for peer service coordinators and peers |
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| 33 | 33 | | that incorporates suicide prevention training; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) technical assistance for program development and |
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| 35 | 35 | | the provision of technical assistance to peer service coordinators, |
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| 36 | 36 | | licensed mental health professionals, and peers; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (4) identification, retention, and screening of |
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| 38 | 38 | | licensed mental health professionals. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) The Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | Commission on Law Enforcement shall ensure firefighters and law |
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| 41 | 41 | | enforcement officers are provided support through the peer support |
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| 42 | 42 | | network in both urban and rural jurisdictions. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (c) The Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Texas |
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| 44 | 44 | | Commission on Law Enforcement shall solicit and ensure the |
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| 45 | 45 | | provision of specialized training to peers who want to provide |
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| 46 | 46 | | peer-to-peer support and other peer-to-peer services under the peer |
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| 47 | 47 | | support network. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (d) The Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Texas |
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| 49 | 49 | | Commission on Law Enforcement may adopt rules necessary to |
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| 50 | 50 | | implement this chapter. |
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| 51 | 51 | | Sec. 115.003. CONTRACT WITH INSTITUTION OF HIGHER |
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| 52 | 52 | | EDUCATION. The Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Texas |
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| 53 | 53 | | Commission on Law Enforcement may contract with an institution of |
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| 54 | 54 | | higher education in this state that has appropriate expertise in |
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| 55 | 55 | | mental health, firefighting, or law enforcement to develop the peer |
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| 56 | 56 | | support network. |
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| 57 | 57 | | Sec. 115.004. CONFIDENTIALITY OF PARTICIPANT INFORMATION. |
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| 58 | 58 | | Information relating to a firefighter's or law enforcement |
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| 59 | 59 | | officer's participation in peer-to-peer support and other |
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| 60 | 60 | | peer-to-peer services under the peer support network is |
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| 61 | 61 | | confidential and may not be disclosed under Chapter 552, Government |
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| 62 | 62 | | Code, by: |
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| 63 | 63 | | (1) the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or Texas |
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| 64 | 64 | | Commission on Law Enforcement; |
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| 65 | 65 | | (2) a fire department that employs a firefighter |
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| 66 | 66 | | participant; |
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| 67 | 67 | | (3) a law enforcement agency that employs a law |
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| 68 | 68 | | enforcement officer participant; or |
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| 69 | 69 | | (4) any other state agency or political subdivision in |
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| 70 | 70 | | this state that employs a firefighter or law enforcement officer |
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| 71 | 71 | | participant. |
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| 72 | 72 | | Sec. 115.005. LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION PROTECTIONS. A |
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| 73 | 73 | | firefighter's or law enforcement officer's participation in |
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| 74 | 74 | | peer-to-peer support and other peer-to-peer services under the peer |
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| 75 | 75 | | support network may not: |
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| 76 | 76 | | (1) serve as the basis for a revocation, suspension, |
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| 77 | 77 | | or denial of a license or certification; or |
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| 78 | 78 | | (2) be considered in any proceeding related to the |
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| 79 | 79 | | firefighter's certification or the officer's licensure. |
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| 80 | 80 | | Sec. 115.006. ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than December 1 of |
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| 81 | 81 | | each year, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Texas |
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| 82 | 82 | | Commission on Law Enforcement shall jointly prepare and submit to |
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| 83 | 83 | | the governor and the legislature a written report that includes: |
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| 84 | 84 | | (1) the number of firefighters and law enforcement |
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| 85 | 85 | | officers who received peer support through the peer support |
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| 86 | 86 | | network; |
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| 87 | 87 | | (2) the number of peers and peer service coordinators |
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| 88 | 88 | | trained; |
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| 89 | 89 | | (3) an evaluation of the services provided under this |
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| 90 | 90 | | chapter; and |
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| 91 | 91 | | (4) recommendations for program improvements. |
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| 92 | 92 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter M-1, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, |
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| 93 | 93 | | is repealed. |
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| 94 | 94 | | SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas |
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| 95 | 95 | | Commission on Fire Protection and Texas Commission on Law |
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| 96 | 96 | | Enforcement shall develop the first responder peer support network |
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| 97 | 97 | | for firefighters and law enforcement officers required by Chapter |
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| 98 | 98 | | 115, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 99 | 99 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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