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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a biennial state report on suicide rates, establishing |
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the Texas Violent Death Reporting System, and the sharing of |
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certain information under a memorandum of understanding on suicide |
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data. |
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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 531.02112 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.02112. BIENNIAL STATE REPORT ON SUICIDE. (a) In |
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this section: |
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(1) "Council" means the Statewide Behavioral Health |
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Coordinating Council. |
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(2) "Postvention" includes activities that promote |
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healing necessary to reduce the risk of suicide by a person affected |
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by the suicide of another. |
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(b) The commission, in conjunction with the Department of |
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State Health Services, shall prepare a biennial report on the |
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prevalence of suicide in this state and state policies and programs |
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adopted across state systems and agencies to prevent suicides. The |
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report must: |
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(1) include available statewide and regional data on |
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the prevalence rates of suicide-related events, including suicidal |
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thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths caused by suicide, that to |
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the extent practicable, is presented in a form that: |
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(A) is disaggregated by county and recognized |
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categories of risk; and |
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(B) is longitudinal to identify changes in |
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suicide prevalence rates since 2000; |
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(2) identify the highest categories of risk with |
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correlational data; |
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(3) list state statutes, agency rules, and policies |
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related to suicide and suicide prevention, intervention, and |
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postvention; and |
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(4) describe state agency initiatives since 2000 to |
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address suicide and include the following information relating to |
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each initiative: |
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(A) the administering state agency; |
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(B) the funding sources, including whether the |
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funding was provided by: |
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(i) a federal block grant; |
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(ii) a federal discretionary grant; or |
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(iii) state appropriations; |
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(C) the years of operation; and |
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(D) whether the initiative is an example of a |
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community-based effort to address suicide. |
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(c) Each state agency or institution of higher education |
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that is a member of the council shall provide to the commission the |
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information described by Subsection (b) of this section, to the |
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extent that information pertains to the respective work of each |
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agency or institution. |
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(d) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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the council shall submit a copy of the report to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction |
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over health and mental health. |
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SECTION 2. Section 193.011, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection |
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(b-1) to read as follows: |
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(a) In this section, "authorized entity" means a medical |
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examiner, a local registrar, a local health authority, a local |
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mental health authority, a community mental health center, a mental |
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health center that acts as a collection agent for the suicide data |
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reported by community mental health centers, the department, the |
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Health and Human Services Commission, the Statewide Behavioral |
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Health Coordinating Council, or any other political subdivision of |
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this state. |
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(b-1) The department and the Health and Human Services |
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Commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to share, |
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as soon as practicable, suicide data collected by the vital |
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statistics unit to conduct timely fatality reviews and surveillance |
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for the purpose of preventing additional deaths. |
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(c) The suicide data an authorized entity receives or |
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provides under Subsection (b) or (b-1) is not confidential. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 1001, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 1001.090 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1001.090. TEXAS VIOLENT DEATH REPORTING SYSTEM. (a) |
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The department shall establish and operate the Texas Violent Death |
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Reporting System for the purpose of participating in the National |
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Violent Death Reporting System operated by the federal Centers for |
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Disease Control and Prevention. |
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(b) The department shall provide suicide data obtained or |
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maintained through the Texas Violent Death Reporting System: |
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(1) in accordance with any memorandum of understanding |
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entered into by the department under Section 193.011; and |
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(2) to the commission, for the purpose of the biennial |
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state report on suicide required under Section 531.02112, |
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Government Code. |
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(c) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 4. 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 September 1, 2021. |