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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot project to develop and operate a crisis |
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stabilization unit on Kerrville State Hospital grounds. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 551.009 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 551.009. HILL COUNTRY LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY |
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CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT PILOT PROJECT. (a) The Department of |
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State Health Services shall implement a crisis stabilization unit |
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pilot project by establishing and operating a crisis stabilization |
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unit on the grounds of the Kerrville State Hospital as provided by |
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this section. The unit must be a 16-bed facility separate from the |
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buildings used by the Kerrville State Hospital. |
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(b) The department shall contract with the local mental |
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health authority serving the Hill Country area, including Kerr |
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County, to operate the crisis stabilization unit. The department |
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shall ensure that the crisis stabilization unit provides short-term |
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residential treatment, including medical and nursing services, |
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designed to reduce a patient's acute symptoms of mental illness and |
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prevent a patient's admission to an inpatient mental health |
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facility. |
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(c) The local mental health authority shall contract with |
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Kerrville State Hospital to provide food service, laundry service, |
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lawn care, and equipment rental to the crisis stabilization unit. |
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The local mental health authority may contract with Kerrville State |
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Hospital to provide pharmaceutical services for the crisis |
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stabilization unit. |
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(d) The crisis stabilization unit may not be used to provide |
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care to: |
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(1) children; or |
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(2) adults sentenced to a state mental facility as |
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provided by Chapter 46C, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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(e) The local mental health authority operating the crisis |
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stabilization unit under contract shall use, for the purpose of |
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operating the 16-bed unit, the money appropriated to the department |
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for operating 16 beds in state hospitals that is allocated to the |
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local mental health authority. The department shall ensure that |
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the local mental health authority retains the remainder of the |
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local authority's state hospital allocation that is not used for |
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operating the 16-bed unit. The department may allocate additional |
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funds appropriated to the department for state hospitals to the |
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crisis stabilization unit pilot project. |
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(f) The department shall reduce the number of beds the |
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department operates in the state hospital by 16. The department, in |
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collaboration with the local mental health authority, shall ensure |
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that the 16 beds in the crisis stabilization unit are made available |
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to other mental health authorities for use as designated by the |
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department. |
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(g) Not later than December 1, 2008, the Department of State |
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Health Services shall submit a report to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives that includes: |
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(1) an analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot |
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project; and |
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(2) recommendations regarding the continuation or |
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expansion of the pilot project. |
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(h) This section expires September 1, 2009. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |