By: Hunter, Collier, Neave H.B. No. 4074
        (Senate Sponsor - Menéndez)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 2021;
  May 12, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Health &
  Human Services; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the collection and use of suicide data by the statewide
  behavioral health coordinating council.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 531.476, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 531.476.  POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The council:
               (1)  shall develop and monitor the implementation of a
  five-year statewide behavioral health strategic plan;
               (2)  shall develop a biennial coordinated statewide
  behavioral health expenditure proposal;
               (3)  shall annually publish an updated inventory of
  behavioral health programs and services that are funded by the
  state that includes a description of how those programs and
  services further the purpose of the statewide behavioral health
  strategic plan;
               (4)  may create subcommittees to carry out the
  council's duties under this subchapter; and
               (5)  may facilitate opportunities to increase
  collaboration for the effective expenditure of available federal
  and state funds for behavioral and mental health services in this
  state.
         (b)  The council shall include statewide suicide prevention
  efforts in its five-year statewide behavioral health strategic plan
  under Subsection (a).
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter M-1, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.477 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.477.  SUICIDE PREVENTION SUBCOMMITTEE; SUICIDE
  DATA REPORTS. (a) The council shall create a suicide prevention
  subcommittee to focus on statewide suicide prevention efforts using
  information collected by the council from available sources of
  suicide data reports. The suicide prevention subcommittee shall
  establish guidelines for the frequent use of those reports in
  carrying out the council's purpose under this subchapter.
         (b)  The subcommittee created under this section shall
  establish a method for identifying how suicide data reports are
  used to make policy.
         (c)  Public or private entities that collect information
  regarding suicide and suicide prevention may provide suicide data
  reports to commission staff designated by the executive
  commissioner to receive those reports.
         SECTION 3.  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, 2021.
 
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