Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 542 amends the Government Code and the Health and Safety Code to require the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation to develop formal policies to encourage the growth and development of volunteer services in local mental health and mental retardation authorities and adds provisions relating to the volunteer programs. The act amends requirements relating to the provision of services for the authorities, including requiring the department to evaluate an authority's compliance with its contract to ensure the provision of specific services to priority populations. The act sets forth provisions relating to contract compliance and audits and requires the department to coordinate with each state agency or department that contracts with an authority to prescribe audit procedures of the authority.

            An authority may appoint a committee to advise its governing board on a matter relating to the oversight and provisions of mental health and mental retardation services and is authorized to access certain criminal history record information maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety.