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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the dedication |
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of certain sales and use tax revenue to the Texas mental and |
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behavioral health research fund established to fund research, |
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treatment, and access to services in this state for behavioral |
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health, mental health, and substance use and addiction issues. |
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by |
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adding Section 68 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 68. The Texas mental and behavioral health research |
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fund is established in the state treasury and consists of money |
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transferred or deposited to the fund as provided by Section 7-c, |
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Article VIII, of this constitution, appropriations made to the fund |
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by the legislature, and all interest, dividends, and other income |
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of the fund. Money from the fund may be used as provided by general |
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law for the purpose of funding programs: |
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(1) to research behavioral health issues generally, |
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including causes of behavioral health issues, public health trends |
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and strategies regarding behavioral health issues, and new |
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behavioral health treatments, interventions, and other solutions; |
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(2) to research substance use and addiction issues, |
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including genetic determinates of addiction, identification of and |
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mitigation of substance use and addiction risk factors, addiction |
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recovery, and prescription practices; |
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(3) to research behavioral health and mental health |
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issues affecting children and adolescents, including unidentified |
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and untreated mental illness, involvement in the juvenile justice |
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system, and suicide prevention; and |
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(4) to address the shortage of mental health |
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professionals in this state, including programs to increase access |
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to mental health professionals in this state, programs to increase |
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the use of telemedicine in the treatment of behavioral health or |
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mental health issues, and programs to provide loan repayment |
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assistance and other funding for mental health professionals, |
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including physicians and advanced practice nurses trained in the |
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prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness in children |
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and adolescents. |
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SECTION 2. Section 7-c, Article VIII, Texas Constitution, |
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is amended by adding Subsections (b-1), (d-1), and (d-2) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-1) Subject to Subsections (d-1) and (d-2) of this |
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section, in each state fiscal year, the comptroller of public |
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accounts shall deposit to the credit of the Texas mental and |
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behavioral health research fund $100 million of the net revenue |
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derived from the imposition of the state sales and use tax on the |
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sale, storage, use, or other consumption in this state of taxable |
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items under Chapter 151, Tax Code, or its successor, that exceeds |
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the amount of $35.04 billion of that revenue coming into the |
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treasury for the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2019, and |
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$36.16 billion of that revenue coming into the state treasury in |
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each subsequent state fiscal year. |
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(d-1) The legislature by adoption of a resolution approved |
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by a record vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the |
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legislature may direct the comptroller of public accounts to reduce |
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the amount of money deposited to the credit of the Texas mental and |
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behavioral health research fund under Subsection (b-1) of this |
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section. The comptroller may be directed to make that reduction |
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only: |
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(1) in the state fiscal year in which the resolution is |
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adopted, or in either of the following two state fiscal years; and |
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(2) by an amount or percentage that does not result in |
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a reduction of more than 50 percent of the amount that would |
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otherwise be deposited to the fund in the affected state fiscal year |
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under Subsection (b-1) of this section. |
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(d-2) The duty of the comptroller of public accounts to make |
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a deposit under Subsection (b-1) of this section expires August 31, |
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2030. |
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SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019. |
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The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the |
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proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing for the |
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dedication of certain sales and use tax revenue to the Texas mental |
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and behavioral health research fund established to fund research, |
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treatment, and access to services in this state for behavioral |
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health, mental health, and substance use and addiction issues." |
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* * * * * |