By: Blanco (Senate Sponsor - Menéndez, West) H.B. No. 4429
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2019;
  May 1, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Health &
  Human Services; May 20, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0;
  May 20, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 4429 By:  Perry
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to mental health first aid training for veterans and
  immediate family members of veterans.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 434.352(b), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  For the mental health program for veterans, the
  commission shall:
               (1)  provide training to peer service coordinators and
  peers in accordance with Section 434.353;
               (2)  provide technical assistance to peer service
  coordinators and peers;
               (3)  identify, train, and communicate with
  community-based licensed mental health professionals,
  community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations;
  [and]
               (4)  coordinate services for justice involved
  veterans; and
               (5)  coordinate local delivery to veterans and
  immediate family members of veterans of mental health first aid for
  veterans training.
         SECTION 2.  Section 1001.205, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 1001.205.  REPORTS. (a) Not later than September 30 of
  each year, a local mental health authority shall provide to the
  department the number of:
               (1)  employees and contractors of the authority who
  were trained as mental health first aid trainers under Section
  1001.202 during the preceding fiscal year;
               (2)  university employees, school district employees,
  and school resource officers who completed a mental health first
  aid training program offered by the authority under Section
  1001.203 during the preceding fiscal year; [and]
               (3)  individuals who are not university employees,
  school district employees, or school resource officers who
  completed a mental health first aid training program offered by the
  authority during the preceding fiscal year; and
               (4)  veterans and immediate family members of veterans
  who completed the veterans module of a mental health first aid
  training program offered by the authority during the preceding
  fiscal year.
         (b)  Not later than December 1 of each year, the department
  shall compile the information submitted by local mental health
  authorities as required by Subsection (a) and submit a report to the
  legislature containing the number of:
               (1)  authority employees and contractors trained as
  mental health first aid trainers during the preceding fiscal year;
               (2)  university employees, school district employees,
  and school resource officers who completed a mental health first
  aid training program provided by an authority during the preceding
  fiscal year; [and]
               (3)  individuals who are not university employees,
  school district employees, or school resource officers who
  completed a mental health first aid training program provided by an
  authority during the preceding fiscal year; and
               (4)  veterans and immediate family members of veterans
  who completed the veterans module of a mental health first aid
  training program provided by an authority during the preceding
  fiscal year.
         SECTION 3.  Section 1001.222(a), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The department shall develop a mental health
  intervention program for veterans.  The program must include:
               (1)  peer-to-peer counseling;
               (2)  access to licensed mental health professionals for
  peer service coordinators and peers;
               (3)  training approved by the department for peer
  service coordinators, licensed mental health professionals, and
  peers;
               (4)  technical assistance for peer service
  coordinators, licensed mental health professionals, and peers;
               (5)  identification, retention, and screening of
  community-based licensed mental health professionals;
               (6)  suicide prevention training for peer service
  coordinators and peers; [and]
               (7)  veteran jail diversion services, including
  veterans treatment courts; and
               (8)  coordination of mental health first aid for
  veterans training to veterans and immediate family members of
  veterans.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
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