86R4461 SRA-D
 
  By: Neave H.B. No. 1045
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a women veterans suicide tracking system and required
  reporting of women veteran suicides by certain persons.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 434.217 to read as follows:
         Sec. 434.217.  WOMEN VETERANS SUICIDE TRACKING SYSTEM;
  REQUIRED REPORTING OF CERTAIN SUICIDES. (a)  The program, in
  collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans
  Affairs, shall develop and maintain a system for tracking the
  number of suicides of women veterans in this state and determining
  the number of those women veterans who received services from the
  United States Department of Veterans Affairs.  The tracking system
  must include data:
               (1)  available from the United States Department of
  Veterans Affairs; and
               (2)  reported to the program under Subsection (b).
         (b)  A person who knows that the cause of death for a woman
  veteran is suicide shall report the suicide to the program and
  provide any information the person may have that may assist the
  program in determining whether the woman received services from the
  United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
         (c)  The following persons shall provide to the program in
  accordance with Subsection (b) any relevant information the person
  obtains related to the suicide death of a woman veteran:
               (1)  a medical examiner or a justice of the peace who is
  acting as a coroner;
               (2)  a health care facility licensed under Subtitle B,
  Title 4, Health and Safety Code; or
               (3)  a mental health facility as defined by Section
  571.003, Health and Safety Code.
         (d)  Information about the suicide of a woman veteran
  obtained under this chapter is confidential and is not subject to
  disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, is not subject to
  subpoena, and may not otherwise be released or made public.
         (e)  Not later than December 31 of each year, the program
  shall submit to the legislature a report that includes:
               (1)  the number of suicides of women veterans that were
  reported to the program under this section during the preceding
  year;
               (2)  the number of women described by Subdivision (1)
  who received services from the United States Department of Veterans
  Affairs;
               (3)  information on whether the suicide rate of women
  veterans in this state is decreasing or increasing;
               (4)  an evaluation of the effectiveness of statewide
  prevention and awareness campaigns in decreasing the number of
  suicides by women veterans in this state; and
               (5)  recommendations for improving the effectiveness
  of statewide prevention and awareness campaigns.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than December 31, 2019, the Texas Women
  Veterans Program shall develop the tracking system required by
  Section 434.217, Government Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding Section 434.217, Government
  Code, as added by this Act:
               (1)  a person is not required to comply with Section
  434.217(c) until January 1, 2020; and
               (2)  the Texas Women Veterans Program is not required
  to submit a report required by Section 434.217(e) to the
  legislature until December 31, 2020.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.