89R18621 TYPED
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2926
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the transition of certain veterans' mental health
initiatives from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to
the Texas Veterans Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 434.0172 to read as follows:
Sec. 434.0172. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR
VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. (a) To the extent funds are
appropriated to the commission for that purpose, the commission
shall establish a grant program for the purpose of supporting
community mental health programs providing services and treatment
to veterans and their families.
(b) The commission shall ensure that each grant recipient
obtains or secures contributions to match awarded grants in amounts
of money or other consideration. The money or other consideration
obtained or secured by the commission may, as determined by the
executive director, include cash or in-kind contributions from
private contributors or local governments but may not include state
or federal funds.
(c) Money appropriated to, or obtained by, the commission
for the grant program must be disbursed directly to grant
recipients by the commission, as authorized by the executive
director.
(c-1) For services and treatment provided in a single
county, the commission shall condition each grant provided under
this section on a potential grant recipient providing funds from
non-state sources in a total amount at least equal to:
(1) 25 percent of the grant amount if the community
mental health program to be supported by the grant provides
services and treatment in a county with a population of less than
100,000;
(2) 50 percent of the grant amount if the community
mental health program to be supported by the grant provides
services and treatment in a county with a population of 100,000 or
more but less than 250,000; or
(3) 100 percent of the grant amount if the community
mental health program to be supported by the grant provides
services and treatment in a county with a population of 250,000 or
more.
(c-2) For a community mental health program that provides
services and treatment in more than one county, the commission
shall condition each grant provided under this section on a
potential grant recipient providing funds from non-state sources in
a total amount at least equal to:
(1) 25 percent of the grant amount if the county with
the largest population in which the community mental health program
to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a
population of less than 100,000;
(2) 50 percent of the grant amount if the county with
the largest population in which the community mental health program
to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a
population of 100,000 or more but less than 250,000; or
(3) 100 percent of the grant amount if the county with
the largest population in which the community mental health program
to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a
population of 250,000 or more.
(d) All grants awarded under the grant program must be used
for the sole purpose of supporting community programs that provide
mental health care services and treatment to veterans and their
families and that coordinate mental health care services for
veterans and their families with other transition support services.
(e) The commission shall select grant recipients based on
the submission of applications or proposals by nonprofit and
governmental entities. The executive director shall develop
criteria for the evaluation of those applications or proposals and
the selection of grant recipients. The selection criteria must:
(1) evaluate and score:
(A) fiscal controls for the project;
(B) project effectiveness;
(C) project cost; and
(D) an applicant's previous experience with
grants and contracts;
(2) address the possibility of and method for making
multiple awards; and
(3) include other factors that the executive director
considers relevant.
(f) A reasonable amount not to exceed five percent of the
money appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of this
section may be used by the commission to pay administrative costs of
implementing this section.
SECTION 2. Section 434.352, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 434.352. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The
commission [and the Health and Human Services Commission] shall
[coordinate to] administer the mental health program for veterans
developed under this chapter [Chapter 1001, Health and Safety
Code].
(a-1) The mental health program for veterans must include:
(1) peer-to-peer counseling;
(2) access to licensed mental health professionals for
peer service coordinators and peers;
(3) training approved by the commission for peer
service coordinators, licensed mental health professionals, and
peers;
(4) technical assistance for peer service
coordinators, licensed mental health professionals, and peers;
(5) identification, retention, and screening of
community-based licensed mental health professionals;
(6) suicide prevention training for peer service
coordinators and peers;
(7) veteran jail diversion services, including
veterans treatment courts; and
(8) coordination of mental health first aid for
veterans training to veterans and immediate family members of
veterans.
(b) For the mental health program for veterans, the
commission shall:
(1) provide training to peer service coordinators and
peers in accordance with Section 434.353;
(2) provide technical assistance to peer service
coordinators and peers;
(3) identify, train, and communicate with
community-based licensed mental health professionals,
community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations;
(4) coordinate services for justice involved
veterans;
(5) coordinate local delivery to veterans and
immediate family members of veterans of mental health first aid for
veterans training; [and]
(6) employ and train mental health professionals to
administer [assist the Health and Human Services Commission in the
administration of] the program;
(7) develop a rural veterans mental health initiative
and a women veterans mental health initiative; and
(8) solicit and ensure that specialized training is
provided to persons who are peers and who want to provide
peer-to-peer counseling or other peer-to-peer services under the
program.
(c) Subject to Section 434.3525, the executive director of
the commission shall appoint a program director to administer the
mental health program for veterans.
(d) The commission shall provide appropriate facilities in
support of the mental health program for veterans to the extent
funding is available for that purpose.
(e) A state agency may not award a grant to an entity for the
provision of mental health services to veterans or veterans'
families unless the entity demonstrates the entity:
(1) has previously received and successfully executed
a grant from the state agency; or
(2) provides training on military informed care or
military cultural competency to entity personnel who provide mental
health services to veterans or veterans' families or requires those
personnel to complete military competency training provided by any
of the following:
(A) the commission;
(B) the Health and Human Services Commission;
(C) the Military Veteran Peer Network;
(D) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration within the United States Department of
Health and Human Services;
(E) the United States Department of Defense;
(F) the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs; or
(G) a nonprofit organization that is exempt from
federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, by being listed as an exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3)
of that code, with experience in providing training or technical
assistance to entities that provide mental health services to
veterans or veterans' families.
(f) The commission and the Health and Human Services
Commission [Department of State Health Services] shall jointly
verify that each state agency authorized to award a grant subject to
the requirements of Subsection (e) has adopted policies to ensure
compliance with Subsection (e).
SECTION 3. Subchapter H, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 434.354 to read as follows:
Sec. 434.354. ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than December 1 of
each year, the commission shall submit a report to the governor and
the legislature that includes:
(1) the number of veterans who received services
through the mental health program for veterans;
(2) the number of peers and peer service coordinators
trained;
(3) an evaluation of the services provided under this
subchapter; and
(4) recommendations for program improvements.
SECTION 4. Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter J to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER J. VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN.
Sec. 434.501. VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN. (a)
The commission, in collaboration with the Texas Coordinating
Council for Veterans Services, the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs, the Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
Technical Assistance Center Implementation Academy of the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the
United States Department of Health and Human Services, veteran
advocacy groups, medical providers, and any other organization or
interested party the commission considers appropriate, shall
develop a comprehensive action plan to increase access to and
availability of professional veteran health services to prevent
veteran suicides.
(b) The action plan must:
(1) identify opportunities for raising awareness of
and providing resources for veteran suicide prevention;
(2) identify opportunities to increase access to
veteran mental health services;
(3) identify funding resources to provide accessible,
affordable veteran mental health services;
(4) provide measures to expand public-private
partnerships to ensure access to quality, timely mental health
services;
(5) provide for proactive outreach measures to reach
veterans needing care;
(6) provide for peer-to-peer service coordination,
including training, certification, recertification, and continuing
education for peer coordinators; and
(7) address suicide prevention awareness, measures,
and training regarding veterans involved in the justice system.
(c) The commission shall make specific short-term and
long-term statutory, administrative, and budget-related
recommendations to the legislature and the governor regarding the
policy initiatives and reforms necessary to implement the action
plan developed under this section. The initiatives and reforms
must be fully implemented by September 1, 2027.
(d) This subchapter expires September 1, 2027.
SECTION 5. The following provisions are repealed:
(1) Subchapter I, Chapter 1001, Health and Safety
Code; and
(2) Sections 531.0925 and 531.0992, Government Code.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.