88R8073 MM-D
 
  By: Manuel H.B. No. 5096
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to mental health first aid training for certain school
  district employees and volunteers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 22, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 22.904 to read as follows:
         Sec. 22.904.  MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING. A school
  district shall require each district employee or volunteer who
  regularly interacts with students enrolled at the district,
  including an educator, school bus driver, custodian, or cafeteria
  worker, to complete an evidence-based mental health first aid
  training program designed to provide instruction to participants
  regarding the recognition and support of children and youth who
  experience a mental health or substance use issue.
         SECTION 2.  Section 1001.201, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subdivision (4) and adding Subdivision (4-a) to
  read as follows:
               (4)  "School district employee" means a person employed
  by a school district who regularly interacts with students through
  the course of the person's duties, including an educator, a
  secretary, a school bus driver, a custodian, or a cafeteria worker.
               (4-a)  "School district volunteer" means a person who
  volunteers at a school district and regularly interacts with
  students at the district while performing duties as a volunteer.
         SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 1001.203, Health and
  Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 1001.203.  GRANTS FOR TRAINING CERTAIN UNIVERSITY
  EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL DISTRICT VOLUNTEERS,
  AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS IN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 1001.203(a), (c), and (e), Health and
  Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  To the extent funds are appropriated to the department
  for that purpose, the department shall make grants to local mental
  health authorities to provide an approved mental health first aid
  training program, administered by mental health first aid trainers,
  at no cost to university employees, school district employees,
  school district volunteers, and school resource officers.
         (c)  The department shall grant $100 to a local mental health
  authority for each university employee, school district employee,
  school district volunteer, or school resource officer who
  successfully completes a mental health first aid training program
  provided by the authority under this section.
         (e)  A local mental health authority may contract with a
  regional education service center to provide a mental health first
  aid training program to university employees, school district
  employees, school district volunteers, and school resource
  officers under this section.
         SECTION 5.  The heading to Section 1001.2031, Health and
  Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 1001.2031.  SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS FOR TRAINING CERTAIN
  UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, SCHOOL DISTRICT
  VOLUNTEERS, AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS IN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST
  AID.
         SECTION 6.  Sections 1001.205(a) and (b), Health and Safety
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Not later than September 30 of each year, a local mental
  health authority shall provide to the department the number of:
               (1)  employees and contractors of the authority who
  were trained as mental health first aid trainers under Section
  1001.202 during the preceding fiscal year, the number of trainers
  who left the program for any reason during the preceding fiscal
  year, and the number of active trainers;
               (2)  university employees, school district employees,
  school district volunteers, and school resource officers who
  completed a mental health first aid training program offered by the
  authority under Section 1001.203 during the preceding fiscal year
  categorized by local mental health authority region, university or
  school district, as applicable, and category of personnel;
               (3)  individuals who are not university employees,
  school district employees, school district volunteers, or school
  resource officers who completed a mental health first aid training
  program offered by the authority during the preceding fiscal year;
  and
               (4)  veterans and immediate family members of veterans
  who completed the veterans module of a mental health first aid
  training program offered by the authority during the preceding
  fiscal year.
         (b)  Not later than December 1 of each year, the department
  shall compile the information submitted by local mental health
  authorities as required by Subsection (a) and submit a report to the
  legislature containing:
               (1)  the number of authority employees and contractors
  trained as mental health first aid trainers during the preceding
  fiscal year, the number of trainers who left the program for any
  reason during the preceding fiscal year, and the number of active
  trainers;
               (2)  the number of university employees, school
  district employees, school district volunteers, and school
  resource officers who completed a mental health first aid training
  program provided by an authority during the preceding fiscal year
  categorized by local mental health authority region, university or
  school district, as applicable, and category of personnel;
               (3)  the number of individuals who are not university
  employees, school district employees, school district volunteers,
  or school resource officers who completed a mental health first aid
  training program provided by an authority during the preceding
  fiscal year;
               (4)  veterans and immediate family members of veterans
  who completed the veterans module of a mental health first aid
  training program provided by an authority during the preceding
  fiscal year; and
               (5)  a detailed accounting of expenditures of money
  appropriated for the purpose of implementing this subchapter.
         SECTION 7.  Not later than September 1, 2024, each school
  district shall ensure that each district employee or volunteer
  described by Section 22.904, Education Code, as added by this Act,
  has completed an evidence-based mental health first aid training
  program as required by that section.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.