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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of mental health wellness units |
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within law enforcement agencies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Chapter 425 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 425. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS UNITS |
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SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 425.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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(2) "Fund" means the peace officer mental health fund. |
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(3) "Law enforcement agency" means the Department of |
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Public Safety or a political subdivision authorized by law to |
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employ peace officers under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure. |
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SUBCHAPTER B. MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS UNITS |
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Sec. 425.051. ESTABLISHMENT OF WELLNESS UNITS. Each law |
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enforcement agency shall establish and maintain a mental health |
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wellness unit within the agency for the agency's peace officers. |
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Sec. 425.052. WELLNESS UNIT REQUIREMENTS. A wellness unit |
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established under this subchapter shall: |
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(1) identify peace officers that respond to a violent |
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incident that may result in a loss of life, including a homicide, |
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suicide, or fatal motor vehicle accident; |
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(2) require a representative of the wellness unit to |
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communicate with and monitor the mental health of an officer |
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identified under Subdivision(1) , when feasible; |
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(3) maintain and provide a list of verified |
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counselors, therapists, and support resources available to an |
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officer identified under Subdivision (1) who agrees to services |
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through the wellness unit; and |
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(4) include any additional requirements the |
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commission determines are necessary to implement this subchapter. |
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SUBCHAPTER C. PEACE OFFICER MENTAL HEALTH FUND AND GRANT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 425.101. FUND. (a) The peace officer mental health |
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fund is an account in the general revenue fund. |
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(b) The fund is composed of: |
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(1) money appropriated to the fund by the legislature; |
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(2) gifts and grants contributed to the fund; and |
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(3) the earnings of the fund. |
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(c) Money in the fund may be appropriated only to the |
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commission. The commission may use the money only for making grants |
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under Section 425.102. |
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Sec. 425.102. PEACE OFFICER MENTAL HEALTH GRANT PROGRAM. |
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(a) The commission shall establish and administer a grant program |
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to assist local law enforcement agencies in establishing and |
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maintaining mental health wellness units within the agencies as |
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required under Subchapter B. |
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(b) The commission shall establish: |
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(1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
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(2) grant application procedures; |
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(3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; |
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(4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and |
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(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant |
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awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any |
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condition of a grant. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2024, the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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prescribe any necessary requirements for mental health wellness |
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units established under Chapter 425, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act. |
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SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Subchapter B, Chapter 425, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act, a law enforcement agency is |
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not required to establish a mental health wellness unit under that |
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subchapter until September 1, 2024. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |