BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1070

By: Price

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that a report by the Department of State Health Services based on information collected by local mental health authorities regarding mental health first aid training program attendance does not provide complete information on such data. H.B. 1070 seeks to address this issue by expanding the reporting requirements for such information.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1070 amends the Health and Safety Code to include among the information a local mental health authority is required to report annually to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and among the information DSHS is required to report annually to the legislature the number of mental health first aid trainers who left the program provided to train those trainers for any reason during the preceding fiscal year and the number of active trainers.

H.B. 1070 requires the number of university employees, school district employees, and school resource officers who completed a mental health first aid training program offered by the local mental health authority during the preceding fiscal year that the authority is required to report annually to DSHS and DSHS is required to report annually to the legislature to be categorized by local mental health authority region, school district, and category of personnel. The bill includes among the information DSHS is required to report annually to the legislature a detailed accounting of expenditures of money appropriated for the purpose of implementing statutory provisions relating to mental health first aid training.

H.B. 1070 applies only to a report submitted by a local mental health authority to DSHS due after September 30, 2019, and to a report submitted by DSHS to the legislature due after December 1, 2019.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.