BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1014

By: Bucy

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Student mental health issues have been on the rise, with suicide now one of the leading causes of death among teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24. In addition to the recurrent issues regarding student mental health, the mental stressors that contribute to suicide have only been exacerbated due to remote learning requirements and social distancing conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given these stressors, there have been calls for more emphasis on mental health support services in Texas schools. C.S.H.B. 1014 seeks to provide streamlined access to mental health support services to students by providing for the inclusion of suicide prevention information on certain student identification cards issued by public schools and public institutions of higher education in Texas.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1014 amends the Education Code to require each student identification card issued by a public school to a student in grade six or higher or by a public institution of higher education to have printed on the card the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line. The card may also include, as applicable, the contact information for a local suicide prevention hotline, the campus police department or security or a local nonemergency police contact, and the campus health clinic or a local health clinic.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1014 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The original applied to public and private schools, career schools or colleges, and public, private, and independent institutions of higher education, whereas the substitute applies only to public schools and public institutions of higher education.