| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a requirement that the Statewide Behavioral Health |
|
|
Coordinating Council prepare a report regarding suicide rates in |
|
|
this state and state efforts to prevent suicides. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSE. The |
|
|
legislature finds that: |
|
|
(1) suicide is a public health crisis that affects |
|
|
residents of all ages in every region of this state; and |
|
|
(2) policymakers need a better understanding of the |
|
|
issue to determine the appropriate state and regional efforts |
|
|
necessary to decrease suicide rates in this state across different |
|
|
ages, places, and groups and to address the patchwork of state laws, |
|
|
policies, programs, and efforts that are currently being used to |
|
|
address suicide. |
|
|
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
|
|
(1) "Council" means the Statewide Behavioral Health |
|
|
Coordinating Council. |
|
|
(2) "Postvention" includes activities that promote |
|
|
healing necessary to reduce the risk of suicide by a person affected |
|
|
by the suicide of another. |
|
|
SECTION 3. SUMMARY REPORT. (a) The Health and Human |
|
|
Services Commission, in conjunction with the Department of State |
|
|
Health Services, shall prepare a summary report on the prevalence |
|
|
of suicide in this state and state policies and programs adopted |
|
|
across state systems and agencies to prevent suicides. The summary |
|
|
report must: |
|
|
(1) include available statewide and regional data on |
|
|
the prevalence rates of suicide-related events, including suicidal |
|
|
thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths caused by suicide, that to |
|
|
the extent practicable, is presented in a form that: |
|
|
(A) is disaggregated by county and recognized |
|
|
categories of risk; and |
|
|
(B) is longitudinal to identify changes in |
|
|
suicide prevalence rates since 2000; |
|
|
(2) identify the highest categories of risk with |
|
|
correlational data; |
|
|
(3) list state statutes, agency rules, and policies |
|
|
related to suicide and suicide prevention, intervention, and |
|
|
postvention; and |
|
|
(4) describe state agency initiatives since 2000 to |
|
|
address suicide and include the following information relating to |
|
|
each initiative: |
|
|
(A) the administering state agency; |
|
|
(B) the funding sources, including whether the |
|
|
funding was provided by: |
|
|
(i) a federal block grant; |
|
|
(ii) a federal discretionary grant; or |
|
|
(iii) state appropriations; |
|
|
(C) the years of operation; and |
|
|
(D) whether the initiative is an example of a |
|
|
community-based effort to address suicide. |
|
|
(b) Not later than December 1, 2019, the Health and Human |
|
|
Services Commission shall provide a copy of the summary report to |
|
|
the council, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of |
|
|
the house of representatives, and each standing legislative |
|
|
committee with primary jurisdiction over health and mental health. |
|
|
SECTION 4. LEGISLATIVE REPORT. (a) Using the summary |
|
|
report on suicide prepared under Section 3 of this Act and with |
|
|
input from the stakeholder workgroup established under Subsection |
|
|
(b) of this section, the council shall prepare a legislative report |
|
|
on suicide in this state that identifies opportunities and makes |
|
|
recommendations, including those that require legislative action, |
|
|
for state agencies to: |
|
|
(1) improve statewide and regional data collection on |
|
|
suicide-related events; |
|
|
(2) use data to guide and inform decisions and policy |
|
|
development relating to suicide prevention; and |
|
|
(3) decrease suicide in this state while targeting the |
|
|
highest categories of risk. |
|
|
(b) The council shall establish a stakeholder workgroup to |
|
|
assist member agencies in preparing the report that includes: |
|
|
(1) a representative of a nonprofit group that |
|
|
supports community-based suicide prevention activities in this |
|
|
state; and |
|
|
(2) representatives of other groups involved in |
|
|
suicide prevention activities. |
|
|
(c) The chief administrator of each state agency |
|
|
represented on the council is entitled to a copy of the legislative |
|
|
report prepared under this section. |
|
|
(d) Not later than September 1, 2020, the council shall |
|
|
submit a copy of the legislative report to the governor, the |
|
|
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
|
|
and each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction |
|
|
over health and mental health. |
|
|
SECTION 5. EXPIRATION. This Act expires December 1, 2020. |
|
|
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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. |