By Carona S.B. No. 1197 77R9148 T A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of a blue ribbon panel to study and make 1-3 recommendations for a strategic plan for the education, prevention 1-4 and treatment of problem gambling and an interagency council to 1-5 coordinate the state's resources in meeting the needs of 1-6 individuals, families, businesses, organizations and communities 1-7 impacted by problem and pathological gambling. 1-8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-9 SECTION 1. Chapter 461, Health and Safety Code is amended by 1-10 adding Section 461.019 to read as follows: 1-11 Sec. 461.019. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING. (a) 1-12 The Interagency Council on Problem Gambling is established to 1-13 foster cooperation between agencies in order to meet the needs of 1-14 individuals, families, businesses, organizations and communities 1-15 impacted by problem gambling. 1-16 (b) The membership of the interagency council includes 1-17 high-level representatives as appointed by the directors of these 1-18 entities: 1-19 (1) Health and Human Services Commission; 1-20 (2) Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drugs; 1-21 (3) Texas Lottery Commission; 1-22 (4) Charitable Bingo Division of the Texas Lottery 1-23 Commission; 1-24 (5) Texas Racing Commission; 2-1 (6) Department of Public Safety; 2-2 (7) Texas Education Agency; 2-3 (8) Department of Protective and Regulatory Services; 2-4 (9) Texas Department of Aging; 2-5 (10) Texas Agricultural Extension Service; 2-6 (11) Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner; 2-7 (12) Department of Human Services; 2-8 (13) Texas Department of Health; 2-9 (14) Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental 2-10 Retardation; 2-11 (15) Office of the Attorney General; 2-12 (16) Texas Department of Criminal Justice; 2-13 (17) Texas Youth Commission; 2-14 (18) Texas Juvenile Probation Commission; 2-15 (19) Texas State Office of Rural Health; 2-16 (c) The appointed representative of the Health and Human 2-17 Services Commission shall serve as the presiding officer of the 2-18 interagency council. The commission may provide administrative 2-19 support to the committee. 2-20 (d) The Texas Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling 2-21 shall appoint one or more persons to serve as advisors to the 2-22 interagency council. 2-23 (e) The interagency council shall meet at least once each 2-24 quarter of each calendar year on dates determined by the 2-25 interagency council members. 2-26 (f) The interagency council shall make quarterly reports to 2-27 the governor, speaker of the house, and lieutenant governor. The 3-1 quarterly report shall include the efforts of each agency to 3-2 address the needs of Texans impacted by problem gambling. 3-3 SECTION 2. (a) The Blue Ribbon Panel on Problem Gambling is 3-4 established to study problem gambling in order to develop a 3-5 strategic plan to provide education, prevention and the treatment 3-6 of problem and pathological gambling in Texas. 3-7 (b) The panel is composed of not less than twelve members as 3-8 follows: 3-9 (1) A representative of the governor's office 3-10 (2) One member of the senate appointed by the 3-11 lieutenant governor. 3-12 (3) One member of the house of representatives 3-13 appointed by the speaker of the house; and not less than 10 members 3-14 appointed by the governor who have an interest in problem and 3-15 pathological gambling and who has experience in one of the 3-16 following: 3-17 (a) Research institutions; 3-18 (b) Clinical practices; 3-19 (c) Youth education; 3-20 (d) Mental health community or community mental 3-21 health centers; 3-22 (e) Financial literacy or credit counseling; 3-23 (f) Services for older adults; 3-24 (g) Legal or criminal justice; 3-25 (h) Student activities or athletics in higher 3-26 education; and 3-27 (i) The faith community. 4-1 (c) Initial appointments must be made not later than 4-2 December 31, 2001. The governor shall appoint one of the members 4-3 to serve as presiding officer of the blue ribbon panel. Chapter 4-4 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the panel. A member of 4-5 the panel is not entitled to compensation or reimbursement by the 4-6 state for travel expenses related to the business of the panel, 4-7 unless the person is a member by virtue of state employment, in 4-8 which event the employing agency shall reimburse the member for 4-9 reasonable and necessary expenses. The entities represented by the 4-10 members of the panel may provide staff and other support services 4-11 as need by the panel. 4-12 (d) The Texas Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling 4-13 shall designate one or more persons to serve as a resource to the 4-14 committee. 4-15 (e) The blue ribbon panel shall: 4-16 (1) examine current research of the prevalence of 4-17 problem and pathological gambling, both in Texas, the United States 4-18 and other jurisdictions; 4-19 (2) identify best practices in the education, 4-20 prevention and treatment of problem and pathological gambling in 4-21 the United States and Canada; 4-22 (3) identify how co-morbidity factors impact the onset 4-23 and treatment of problem and pathological gambling; 4-24 (4) evaluate how problem and pathological gambling 4-25 impacts individuals, families, businesses, organizations and 4-26 communities, including the criminal justice system; 4-27 (5) consider changes in the law necessary to reduce 5-1 the incidences of problem and pathological gambling; 5-2 (6) determine what standards are necessary to protect 5-3 the public who seek counseling and treatment for pathological 5-4 gambling problems; and 5-5 (7) evaluate how state gambling regulatory agencies 5-6 are promoting responsible gaming practices. 5-7 (f) The blue ribbon panel shall submit a report based on its 5-8 findings to the 78th Legislature not later than January 15, 2003. 5-9 As part of its report, the panel shall submit to the legislature a 5-10 strategic plan that includes a timetable for implementation. 5-11 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 5-12 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 5-13 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 5-14 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 5-15 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.