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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishment of the office of first responder training |
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support within the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management |
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Institute of Texas and to the provision of critical incident |
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support training services to first responders. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 96, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 96.642 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 96.642. OFFICE OF FIRST RESPONDER TRAINING SUPPORT. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Critical incident stress management team" means a |
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trained team of peer support responders and mental health |
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professionals who provide support to first responders using an |
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integrated multicomponent crisis intervention system. |
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(2) "Department" means Disaster Behavioral Health |
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Services within the Health and Human Services Commission. |
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(3) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 421.095, Government Code. |
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(4) "Institute" means the Bill Blackwood Law |
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Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. |
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(5) "Office" means the office of first responder |
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training support established by this section. |
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(6) "Peer support responder" means an individual |
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member of a peer support team who, as an employee, contractor, or |
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volunteer of a public agency, provides services designed to give |
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compassionate or coping support to a first responder involved in, |
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witness to, or otherwise affected by a traumatic event. |
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(7) "President" means the president of Sam Houston |
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State University. |
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(8) "Public agency" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 2257.002, Government Code. |
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(b) The president shall establish an office of first |
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responder training support within the institute. |
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(c) The president shall appoint a training support |
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coordinator as the administrative head of the office. Except as |
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provided by Subsection (d), the training support coordinator must: |
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(1) have at least five years of experience as a first |
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responder; |
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(2) have successfully completed training in providing |
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critical incident stress management to first responders; and |
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(3) demonstrate a professional ability to provide |
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emotional and moral support to first responders. |
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(d) If the training support coordinator has not completed |
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the training required by Subsection (c)(2), the training support |
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coordinator must complete the training as soon as practicable. |
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(e) The office may coordinate with the department to |
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establish a program for training individuals to serve on a critical |
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incident stress management team. An individual may not serve on a |
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critical incident stress management team before the individual |
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completes training in critical incident stress management at least |
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as comprehensive as that provided by the International Critical |
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Incident Stress Foundation. |
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(f) The office shall provide assistance in gaining access to |
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training at least as comprehensive as that provided by the |
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International Critical Incident Stress Foundation for critical |
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incident stress management teams. The training courses may include |
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instruction about: |
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(1) suicide awareness; |
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(2) suicide prevention; |
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(3) suicide intervention for first responders; and |
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(4) other behavioral health topics. |
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(g) The office shall provide information about the |
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department's critical incident stress management teams to an |
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individual who completes the office's training. |
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(h) The office and department shall share with first |
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responders who have been involved in a critical incident |
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information regarding the availability of the Post Critical |
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Incident Seminar. |
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(i) The office shall coordinate with qualified |
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International Critical Incident Stress Foundation instructors to |
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provide International Critical Incident Stress Foundation training |
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to peer support responders. |
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(j) The office may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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donations to implement this section. |
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(k) The president shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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(l) This section does not place any restrictions on the type |
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of training provided by or to any critical incident stress |
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management team or peer support program outside of the institute. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the president of Sam Houston State University shall |
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adopt rules necessary to implement Section 96.642, Education Code, |
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as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |