86R13528 JG-F

By: Price H.B. No. 2707

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the expansion of the community mental health grant program to include services to and treatment of individuals with substance use disorders.

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

SECTION 1. The heading to Section 531.0999, Government Code, as added by Chapter 770 (H.B. 13), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 531.0999. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES.

SECTION 2. Section 531.0999, Government Code, as added by Chapter 770 (H.B. 13), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (d), (f), (h), and (i) to read as follows:

(a) To the extent money is appropriated to the commission for that purpose, the commission shall establish a matching grant program for the purpose of supporting community mental health and substance use disorder programs providing services and treatment to individuals experiencing a mental illness or substance use disorder.

(d) A grant awarded under the matching grant program and matching amounts must be used for the sole purpose of supporting community programs that provide mental health care or substance use disorder services and treatment to individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder, as applicable, and that coordinate mental health care or substance use disorder services for individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder, as applicable, with other transition support services.

(f) A nonprofit or governmental entity that applies for a grant under this section must notify each local mental health authority or local behavioral health authority with a local service area that is covered wholly or partly by the entity's proposed community mental health or substance use disorder program and must provide in the entity's application a letter of support from each local mental health authority or local behavioral health authority with a local service area that is covered wholly or partly by the entity's proposed community mental health or substance use disorder program. The commission shall consider a local mental health authority's or local behavioral health authority's written input before awarding a grant under this section and may take any recommendations made by the authority.

(h) A community that receives a grant under this section is required to leverage funds in an amount:

(1) equal to 50 percent of the grant amount if the community mental health or substance use disorder program is located in a county with a population of less than 250,000;

(2) equal to 100 percent of the grant amount if the community mental health or substance use disorder program is located in a county with a population of at least 250,000; and

(3) equal to the percentage of the grant amount otherwise required by this subsection for the largest county in which a community mental health or substance use disorder program is located if the community mental health or substance use disorder program is located in more than one county.

(i) Except as provided by Subsection (j), from money appropriated to the commission for each fiscal year to implement this section, the commission shall reserve 50 percent of that total to be awarded only as grants to a community mental health or substance use disorder program located in a county with a population not greater than 250,000.

SECTION 3. 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.