By Maxey H.B. No. 1709 76R3483 SMJ-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of an advisory committee on standards 1-3 of care for mental health care. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 571, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Section 571.028 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 571.028. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF CARE. (a) 1-8 The board shall appoint an advisory committee to develop guidelines 1-9 for standards of care for mental health care providers in this 1-10 state. The guidelines must prescribe the incorporation of 1-11 treatment algorithms for mental health care, as developed by the 1-12 Texas Medication Algorithm Project, where practicable. 1-13 (b) The committee shall be composed of not more than 15 1-14 members, with an equal number of representatives from each of the 1-15 following groups: 1-16 (1) private mental health care providers; 1-17 (2) state agencies that provide mental health care 1-18 services; and 1-19 (3) individuals who receive mental health services or 1-20 families of individuals who receive mental health services. 1-21 (c) A representative from the department shall serve as the 1-22 presiding officer of the committee. The department shall provide 1-23 administrative support to the committee. 1-24 (d) A committee member serves at the pleasure of the board 2-1 or until the member ceases to represent a group listed in 2-2 Subsection (b). 2-3 (e) A committee member serves without compensation and is 2-4 not entitled to reimbursement of an expense incurred while serving 2-5 on the committee. 2-6 (f) The committee shall meet at regular intervals to be 2-7 determined by the board and at any other time at the call of the 2-8 presiding officer. The committee shall report to the board 2-9 concerning the committee's activities and the results of its work 2-10 in a manner specified by the board. 2-11 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-12 (b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this 2-13 Act, the Texas Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation shall 2-14 appoint the initial members of the advisory committee created by 2-15 this Act. 2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.