By: Hilderbran, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Fraser) H.B. No. 654

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2007; May 2, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services; May 11, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2007, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a pilot project to develop and operate a crisis stabilization unit on Kerrville State Hospital grounds.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 551.009 to read as follows:

Sec. 551.009. HILL COUNTRY LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT PILOT PROJECT. (a) The Department of State Health Services shall implement a crisis stabilization unit pilot project by establishing and operating a crisis stabilization unit on the grounds of the Kerrville State Hospital as provided by this section. The unit must be a 16-bed facility separate from the buildings used by the Kerrville State Hospital.

(b) The department shall contract with the local mental health authority serving the Hill Country area, including Kerr County, to operate the crisis stabilization unit. The department shall ensure that the crisis stabilization unit provides short-term residential treatment, including medical and nursing services, designed to reduce a patient's acute symptoms of mental illness and prevent a patient's admission to an inpatient mental health facility.

(c) The local mental health authority shall contract with Kerrville State Hospital to provide food service, laundry service, lawn care, and equipment rental to the crisis stabilization unit. The local mental health authority may contract with Kerrville State Hospital to provide pharmaceutical services for the crisis stabilization unit.

(d) The crisis stabilization unit may not be used to provide care to:

(1) children; or

(2) adults sentenced to a state mental facility as provided by Chapter 46C, Code of Criminal Procedure.

(e) The local mental health authority operating the crisis stabilization unit under contract shall use, for the purpose of operating the 16-bed unit, the money appropriated to the department for operating 16 beds in state hospitals that is allocated to the local mental health authority. The department shall ensure that the local mental health authority retains the remainder of the local authority's state hospital allocation that is not used for operating the 16-bed unit. The department may allocate additional funds appropriated to the department for state hospitals to the crisis stabilization unit pilot project.

(f) The department shall reduce the number of beds the department operates in the state hospital by 16. The department, in collaboration with the local mental health authority, shall ensure that the 16 beds in the crisis stabilization unit are made available to other mental health authorities for use as designated by the department.

(g) Not later than December 1, 2008, the Department of State Health Services shall submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives that includes:

(1) an analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot project; and

(2) recommendations regarding the continuation or expansion of the pilot project.

(h) This section expires September 1, 2009.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

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