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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant program for mobile crisis outreach teams. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.09915 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.09915. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MOBILE CRISIS OUTREACH |
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TEAMS. (a) In this section, "mobile crisis outreach team" means a |
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group of mental health professionals who assist adults and children |
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who are experiencing a mental health crisis by providing a variety |
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of services. |
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(b) The executive commissioner shall establish and |
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administer a mobile crisis outreach team grant program to grant |
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money to municipalities and counties to establish local agencies |
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that, in partnership with local law enforcement and local mental |
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health authorities, provide an alternate response program under |
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which a mobile crisis outreach team may be deployed in the |
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municipality or county to appropriate situations determined not to |
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require police intervention, for the purpose of reducing the number |
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of incarcerations by the municipality or county of individuals |
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with: |
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(1) mental illness; |
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(2) substance use disorders; or |
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(3) intellectual or developmental disabilities. |
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(c) A grant application from a municipality or county to the |
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commission must be submitted on a form prescribed by the commission |
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and include a statement from the governing body of the municipality |
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or county regarding the municipal or county proposal to establish |
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an alternate response program that includes: |
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(1) training 9-1-1 emergency service dispatchers to |
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distinguish between situations in which the dispatcher must deploy |
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local law enforcement and situations in which a mobile crisis |
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outreach team may be deployed instead; |
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(2) creating collaborative training opportunities to |
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increase mental health and trauma awareness for emergency medical |
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services providers, local law enforcement, and mobile crisis |
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outreach teams; |
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(3) strengthening community engagement to raise |
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awareness about mobile crisis outreach teams, including by |
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establishing relationships between mobile crisis outreach teams |
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and: |
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(A) schools; |
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(B) child protective services providers; |
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(C) religious organizations; |
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(D) nonprofit food bank or food pantries; |
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(E) community health centers; |
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(F) recreation centers; and |
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(G) shelters designed to provide temporary |
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living accommodations, including: |
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(i) welfare hotels; |
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(ii) congregate shelters; and |
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(iii) transitional housing for persons with |
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mental illness; |
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(4) ensuring mobile crisis outreach teams provide |
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appropriate care to individuals, especially individuals who lack |
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adequate health insurance coverage, including by identifying |
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options for individuals to receive care through: |
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(A) shelters, as defined by Section 42.201, Human |
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Resources Code; |
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(B) crisis residential programs; |
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(C) treatment centers; |
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(D) after hours clinics; and |
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(E) inpatient and outpatient treatment programs; |
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(5) promoting access to any available free or |
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affordable care through community mental health services |
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providers; |
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(6) increasing the availability of public |
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transportation and other transportation options for individuals |
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who require mental health services; |
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(7) employing as mobile crisis outreach team members |
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individuals who: |
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(A) hold degrees in relevant behavioral health |
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fields and have received appropriate training to serve on a mobile |
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crisis outreach team; or |
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(B) are licensed mental health professionals; |
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and |
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(8) providing comprehensive and continuing training |
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to employees of mobile crisis outreach teams about: |
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(A) suicide; |
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(B) risk assessment; |
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(C) crisis intervention; |
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(D) issues relevant to marginalized populations; |
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and |
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(E) bias awareness. |
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(d) The executive commissioner shall develop criteria for |
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the evaluation of applications submitted under this section and the |
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selection of recipients for a grant under the mobile crisis |
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outreach team grant program. The executive commissioner shall award |
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grants on a competitive basis. |
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(e) A grant awarded under this section may not exceed $5 |
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million. |
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(f) A municipality or county that receives a grant under |
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this section is required to leverage funds in an amount: |
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(1) equal to 50 percent of the grant amount if: |
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(A) the county has a population of less than |
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250,000; or |
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(B) the municipality is located in a county with |
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a population of less than 250,000; |
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(2) equal to 100 percent of the grant amount if: |
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(A) the county has a population of 250,000 or |
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more; or |
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(B) the municipality is located in a county with |
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a population of 250,000 or more; and |
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(3) equal to the percentage of the grant amount |
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otherwise required by this subsection for the largest county in |
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which a mobile crisis outreach team is located if the mobile crisis |
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outreach team is located in more than one county. |
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(g) A municipality or county that receives a grant under |
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this section may also accept: |
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(1) gifts, grants, and donations; |
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(2) money donated from the budget of a law enforcement |
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agency; |
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(3) money donated from the budget of a municipality or |
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county; and |
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(4) money donated from the budget of a local mental |
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health authority. |
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(h) The executive commissioner shall adopt all rules |
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necessary for the establishment of the mobile crisis outreach team |
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grant program under this section. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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Section 531.09915, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |