86R12798 EAS-D
 
  By: Thierry H.B. No. 2693
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of a grant program to enhance
  community-based suicide prevention efforts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.09991 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.09991.  GRANT PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY-BASED SUICIDE
  PREVENTION EFFORTS. (a) To the extent money is available to the
  commission for that purpose, the commission shall establish a
  program to provide grants to quasi-governmental or nonprofit
  entities for the purpose of establishing and enhancing
  community-based suicide prevention efforts.
         (b)  Grant money awarded under this section may be used only
  to:
               (1)  support the implementation, administration, and
  coordination of the 2018 Texas State Plan for Suicide Prevention
  adopted by the Texas Suicide Prevention Council;
               (2)  support the operations of the quasi-governmental
  and nonprofit entities receiving grant money to expand local
  community-based suicide prevention efforts;
               (3)  support suicide prevention efforts in certain
  communities of practice, including veterans, primary and secondary
  education students, higher education students, persons who reside
  in rural areas, and persons working in health care;
               (4)  facilitate statewide partnerships and
  collaborations;
               (5)  expand the capacities of community-based suicide
  prevention programs to collect and analyze information to inform
  suicide prevention strategies;
               (6)  foster and promote emerging and promising best
  practices in suicide prevention;
               (7)  offer outreach and communications structures
  supporting the 2018 Texas State Plan for Suicide Prevention; or
               (8)  subcontract with another quasi-governmental or
  nonprofit entity acceptable to the commission to accomplish the
  purposes described by Subdivisions (1)-(7).
         SECTION 2.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement
  Section 531.09991, Government Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.