81R15149 UM-F

By: Hilderbran, Gallego, King of Zavala, H.B. No. 1678

Miller of Comal, Rose, et al.

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1678:

By: McReynolds C.S.H.B. No. 1678

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the Hill Country local mental health authority crisis stabilization unit.

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

SECTION 1. The heading to Section 551.009, Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 551.009. HILL COUNTRY LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT [PILOT PROJECT].

SECTION 2. Sections 551.009(a), (b), (c), (e), and (f), Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The Department of State Health Services shall contract with the local mental health authority serving the Hill Country area, including Kerr County, to operate [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 include provisions in the contract requiring [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, and 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].

(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 system 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.

SECTION 3. Sections 551.009(g) and (h), Health and Safety Code, are repealed.

SECTION 4. 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 August 31, 2009.