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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to mental health services development plans as updated by |
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the Health and Human Services Commission and local mental health |
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authority groups. |
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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 531.0222 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.0222. LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY GROUP REGIONAL |
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PLANNING. (a) In this section, "local mental health authority |
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group" means a group of local mental health authorities established |
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by the commission under Chapter 963 (S.B. 633), Acts of the 86th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2019. |
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(b) The commission shall require each local mental health |
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authority group to meet at least quarterly to collaborate on |
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planning and implementing regional strategies to reduce: |
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(1) costs to local governments of providing services |
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to persons experiencing a mental health crisis; |
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(2) transportation to mental health facilities of |
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persons served by an authority that is a member of the group; |
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(3) incarceration of persons with mental illness in |
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county jails that are located in an area served by an authority that |
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is a member of the group; and |
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(4) visits by persons with mental illness at hospital |
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emergency rooms located in an area served by an authority that is a |
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member of the group. |
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(c) The commission shall use federal funds in accordance |
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with state and federal guidelines to implement this section. |
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(d) The commission, in coordination with each local mental |
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health authority group, shall annually update the mental health |
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services development plan that was initially developed by the |
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commission and each local mental health authority group under |
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Chapter 963 (S.B. 633), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2019. The commission and each group's updated plan must |
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include a description of: |
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(1) actions taken by the group to implement regional |
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strategies in the plan; and |
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(2) new regional strategies identified by the group to |
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reduce the circumstances described by Subsection (b), including the |
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estimated number of outpatient and inpatient beds necessary to meet |
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the goals of each group's regional strategy. |
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(e) Not later than December 1 of each year, the commission |
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shall produce and publish on its Internet website a report |
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containing the most recent version of each mental health services |
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development plan developed by the commission and a local mental |
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health authority group. |
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SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 531.0222, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, a local mental health authority group |
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and the Health and Human Services Commission are not required to |
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produce or publish a report required by that section before |
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December 1, 2022. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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legislative session. |