86R3396 GCB-D

By: Thierry H.B. No. 198

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to providing mental health services and mental health education to public school students at school-based health centers.

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

SECTION 1. Section 38.051(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) A school district in this state may, if the district identifies the need, design a model in accordance with this subchapter for the delivery of cooperative health care programs for students and their families and may compete for grants awarded under this subchapter. The model may provide for the delivery of:

(1) conventional health services;

(2) mental health services; and

(3) disease prevention of emerging health threats that are specific to the district.

SECTION 2. Section 38.054, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 38.054. CATEGORIES OF SERVICES. The permissible categories of services are:

(1) family and home support;

(2) mental health care;

(3) health care, including immunizations;

(4) [(3)] dental health care;

(5) [(4)] health education; and

(6) [(5)] preventive health strategies.

SECTION 3. Section 38.058, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 38.058. HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL. (a) The board of trustees of a school district may establish and appoint members to a local health education and health care advisory council to make recommendations to the district on the establishment of school-based health centers to provide health care services, including mental health services, and to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the operation of each center and in the provision of health education and mental health education.

(b) A majority of the members of the council must be parents of students enrolled in the district. In addition to the appointees who are parents of students, the board of trustees shall also appoint at least one person from each of the following groups:

(1) teachers;

(2) school administrators;

(3) licensed health care professionals;

(4) licensed mental health services providers;

(5) the clergy;

(6) [(5)] law enforcement;

(7) [(6)] the business community;

(8) [(7)] senior citizens; and

(9) [(8)] students.

SECTION 4. Section 38.063(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) All health care programs should be designed to meet the following goals:

(1) reducing student absenteeism;

(2) increasing a student's ability to meet the student's academic potential; and

(3) stabilizing the physical and mental well-being of a student.

SECTION 5. Section 38.064(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) Based on statistics obtained from every school-based health center in this state that receives funding through the Department of State Health Services, the Department of State Health Services shall issue a biennial report to the legislature about the relative efficacy of services delivered by the centers during the preceding two years and any increased academic success of students at campuses served by those centers, with special emphasis on any:

(1) increased attendance, including attendance information regarding students with chronic illnesses;

(2) decreased drop-out rates;

(3) improved student health, including improved mental health;

(4) increased student immunization rates;

(5) increased student participation in preventive health measures, including routine physical examinations and checkups conducted in accordance with the Texas Health Steps program; and

(6) improved performance on student assessment instruments administered under Subchapter B, Chapter 39.

SECTION 6. The board of trustees of a school district that has established a local health education and health care advisory council under Section 38.058, Education Code, shall appoint a licensed mental health services provider to the council, as required by the change in law made by this Act, as soon as practicable and not later than January 1, 2020.

SECTION 7. 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, 2019.