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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the provision of behavioral health crisis services, |
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including the establishment of crisis centers and mobile crisis |
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teams; authorizing a fee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter P to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER P. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICES |
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Sec. 531.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Crisis center" means a state-designated 988 |
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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline center participating in the National |
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Suicide Prevention Lifeline network to respond to statewide or |
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regional communications. |
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(2) "Mobile crisis team" means a regionally located |
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multidisciplinary response behavioral health team. |
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Sec. 531.602. 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE ADVISORY |
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COMMITTEE. (a) The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline advisory |
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committee is established to advise the commission and make |
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recommendations regarding implementing a state-designated 988 |
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suicide and crisis lifeline. |
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(b) The advisory committee is composed of representatives |
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of the following: |
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(1) a crisis center; |
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(2) a 9-1-1 call center; |
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(3) a local mental health authority; |
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(4) the Department of Public Safety of the State of |
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Texas; |
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(5) a hospital emergency department; |
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(6) a state court; |
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(7) an individual or family member or caregiver of an |
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individual who has lived experience with suicide prevention or |
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usage of behavioral health crisis services; and |
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(8) a behavioral health crisis service provider. |
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(c) The executive commissioner shall appoint members to the |
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advisory committee. |
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Sec. 531.603. ESTABLISHMENT OF CRISIS CENTERS AND MOBILE |
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CRISIS TEAMS. (a) The commission shall establish: |
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(1) at least one crisis center to provide crisis |
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stabilization services to individuals in this state who are |
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accessing the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; and |
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(2) mobile crisis teams to respond to behavioral |
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health crises and provide crisis stabilization services. |
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(b) In establishing a crisis center, the executive |
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commissioner shall adopt rules to allow information sharing and |
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communication between a crisis center and a mobile crisis team to |
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enhance crisis care coordination. |
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(c) In establishing a mobile crisis team, the commission |
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must: |
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(1) design the team in partnership with members of the |
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community to be served, including people with lived experience |
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using crisis services; |
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(2) staff the team with personnel who reflect the |
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demographics of the community served; and |
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(3) require the team to collect customer service data |
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from individuals served by the team. |
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Sec. 531.604. CRISIS CENTER POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) A |
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crisis center established by the commission shall: |
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(1) contract with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; |
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(2) satisfy the requirements of and best practices |
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identified by the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; |
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(3) provide and report any applicable data; |
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(4) be equipped to deploy a mobile crisis team; |
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(5) satisfy the requirements for serving at-risk and |
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specialized populations as identified by the Substance Abuse and |
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Mental Health Services Administration; |
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(6) provide linguistically and culturally competent |
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care, including by requiring training and providing policies for |
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transferring a crisis center caller to an appropriate specialized |
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center within the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network; and |
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(7) provide follow-up services to individuals who call |
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the crisis center. |
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(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to allow |
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appropriate information sharing and communication across crisis |
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response systems and emergency response systems to provide |
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real-time crisis care coordination. |
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Sec. 531.605. SERVING AT-RISK AND SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS. |
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A crisis center shall serve at-risk and specialized populations as |
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identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services |
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Administration. The populations served must include the LGBTQ |
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community, youth, minorities, individuals residing in rural areas, |
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veterans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and individuals with |
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co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness. |
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Sec. 531.606. CRISIS CARE COORDINATION. (a) The |
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commission shall ensure that an individual who contacts a crises |
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center is provided ongoing care through active collaboration and |
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coordination of services among crisis centers and mental health and |
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substance use disorder treatment providers, community mental |
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health centers, certified community behavioral health clinics, |
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community behavioral health centers, mobile crisis teams, hospital |
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emergency departments, and inpatient psychiatric settings. |
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(b) The commission may contract with the entities listed |
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under Subsection (a) to ensure the coordination of services. |
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Sec. 531.607. 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE TRUST FUND. |
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(a) The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline trust fund is established |
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as a trust fund to be held by the comptroller outside the state |
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treasury and administered by the commission. |
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(b) The trust fund consists of: |
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(1) revenue derived from the fee described by Section |
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531.608; |
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(2) legislative appropriations of money for the |
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purposes of this subchapter; |
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(3) available federal funding this state allocates for |
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the purposes of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; |
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(4) gifts, grants, and donations received by this |
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state for the purposes of the trust fund; |
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(5) interest, dividends, and other income of the trust |
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fund; and |
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(6) money from any other source that is deposited in or |
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transferred to the trust fund. |
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(c) Money deposited in the trust fund may only be used to: |
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(1) implement, maintain, or improve the 988 Suicide & |
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Crisis Lifeline, including personnel and technological |
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infrastructure improvements necessary to achieve operational and |
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clinical standards and best practices as provided by the National |
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Suicide Prevention Lifeline; |
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(2) provide funding for crisis outreach and |
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stabilization services by directly responding to the 988 Suicide & |
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Crisis Lifeline; |
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(3) provide funding for uninsured individuals |
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receiving crisis and stabilization services; |
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(4) provide personnel for crisis centers and mobile |
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crisis teams; |
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(5) fund data provision, reporting, participation in |
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evaluations, and other related quality improvement activities; and |
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(6) administer, oversee, and evaluate the trust fund. |
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(d) The state may not transfer or use trust fund assets for |
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any purpose other than the uses provided in this subchapter. |
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(e) The executive commissioner shall submit an annual |
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report to the legislature and the Federal Communications Commission |
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detailing the trust fund deposits and expenditures in the preceding |
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year. |
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Sec. 531.608. 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE FEE. (a) The |
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commission may impose a 988 suicide and crisis lifeline service fee |
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to supplement any federal, state, or local funding for suicide |
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prevention or behavioral health crisis services on each: |
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(1) local exchange access line or equivalent local |
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exchange access line, not including public telephone equipment |
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operated by coin or by card reader; |
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(2) wireless telecommunications connection; |
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(3) Voice over Internet Protocol service connection; |
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and |
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(4) purchase of a prepaid wireless telecommunications |
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service by any method. |
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(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall set the fee in |
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an amount sufficient to cover the costs of creating, operating, and |
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maintaining the suicide prevention services provided under this |
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subchapter, according to the national guidelines for crisis |
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services. The commission shall periodically adjust the fee amount |
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as necessary to provide for continuous operation, volume increases, |
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and maintenance. |
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(c) Revenue from the fee shall be deposited in the 988 |
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suicide and crisis lifeline trust fund established under Section |
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531.607. |
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(d) A fee collected under this section may only be used to |
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offset costs as provided by 47 U.S.C. Section 251a. |
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(e) Revenue from the fee may not be used for expenses that |
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are: |
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(1) reimbursable through Medicaid, Medicare, or |
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another insurer or governmental program; or |
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(2) covered because the service recipient's name and |
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health coverage information cannot be obtained or billed. |
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(f) The executive commissioner shall submit an annual |
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report to the legislature and the Federal Communications Commission |
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detailing the revenue generated by the fee in the preceding year. |
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Sec. 531.609. ANNUAL REPORT. (a) The commission shall |
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prepare an annual report of the usage of crisis centers and the |
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services provided by the centers. |
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(b) The commission shall present the annual report to the |
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legislature and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services |
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Administration. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |