87R2875 JG-D

By: White H.B. No. 898

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an interagency grant program to support and sustain the operations of community recovery organizations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Chapter 53 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 53. COMMUNITY RECOVERY ORGANIZATION GRANT PROGRAM

Sec. 53.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Community recovery organization" means a nonprofit organization that:

(A) mobilizes resources inside and outside of a local community to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term recovery for individuals with a substance use or mental health condition and their affected family members;

(B) is governed by members of the local community:

(i) at least 51 percent of whom identify as an individual recovering from a substance use or mental health condition; and

(ii) the remainder of whom identify as an affected family member of an individual recovering from a substance use or mental health condition; and

(C) aligns with applicable national best practices recognized by the commission.

(2) "Grant program" means the community recovery organization grant program established under this chapter.

Sec. 53.002. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The community recovery organization grant program is established as an interagency grant program to provide grants to community recovery organizations to support and sustain the operations of the organizations.

(b) The commission shall serve as the administrator of the grant program. The grant program consists of the following additional state agencies:

(1) the department;

(2) the Department of Family and Protective Services;

(3) the Texas Education Agency;

(4) the Department of Agriculture;

(5) the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;

(6) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;

(7) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department;

(8) the Texas Veterans Commission; and

(9) the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

(c) The commission may provide a grant to a community recovery organization only in accordance with a contract between the commission and the community recovery organization. The contract must include provisions under which the commission is granted sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of substance use or mental health recovery is accomplished and the state receives the return benefit.

Sec. 53.003. FUNDING. (a) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission and each state agency listed under Section 53.002(b) shall identify available resources under the agency's control that may be used to fund and provide grants to community recovery organizations under the grant program.

(b) In addition to the resources identified under Subsection (a) and any money appropriated by the legislature for the grant program, the commission may solicit and accept gifts, grants, or donations from any source to administer and provide grants to community recovery organizations under the grant program.

Sec. 53.004. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. The executive commissioner of the commission and the executive head of each state agency listed under Section 53.002(b) with rulemaking authority each by rule shall adopt a memorandum of understanding that defines the commission's and each other agency's responsibilities with respect to administering and operating the grant program.

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission and the executive head of each state agency listed under Section 53.002(b), Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, with rulemaking authority by rule shall adopt the memorandum of understanding required by Section 53.004, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.