BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4299

By: Dean

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns about the toll the job of a peace officer can have on their mental health. While various programs and mental health services may be available, there is no single statewide overview of the provision, availability, accessibility, and utilization of mental health services for peace officers. H.B. 4299 seeks to address this issue by directing the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to conduct a study on those aspects of mental health services for peace officers with a recommendation of how to increase the effectiveness and availability of these services.

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

H.B. 4299 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to study the provision, availability, and accessibility of mental health services for peace officers. In studying those services, TCOLE must collect information from law enforcement agencies in Texas regarding any mental health programs provided by the agencies, and to the extent available, the use of mental health services by the peace officers of the agencies. TCOLE must also collect information from the governor's office regarding the office's implementation of the peace officer mental health grant program and the critical incident stress debriefing grant program and the impact of those programs.

H.B. 4299 requires TCOLE to submit a written report to the legislature not later than December 1, 2022, with recommendations on the following:

· increasing the effectiveness and availability of mental health services for peace officers;

· establishing a mental health program within a state agency or political subdivision that employs peace officers to improve the officers' access to mental health services;

· developing sources of funding for programs that provide peace officers with access to effective mental health services; and

· any other related issue TCOLE considers appropriate.

The bill's provisions expire January 1, 2023.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.