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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the provision of behavioral health crisis services, |
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including measures to fund and support the 988 Suicide and Crisis |
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Lifeline and related services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 547, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter K to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER K. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICES |
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Sec. 547.0551. 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE TRUST FUND. |
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(a) In this section, "trust company" means the Texas Treasury |
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Safekeeping Trust Company. |
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(b) The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline trust fund is |
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established as a trust fund outside the state treasury to be |
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administered by the commission. |
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(c) The trust fund consists of: |
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(1) gifts, grants, and donations, including federal |
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funds, received by this state for the purposes of the trust fund; |
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and |
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(2) interest, dividends, and other income of the trust |
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fund. |
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(d) Money deposited in the trust fund may only be used to: |
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(1) implement, maintain, or improve the 988 Suicide & |
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Crisis Lifeline, including personnel and technological |
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infrastructure improvements necessary to achieve operational and |
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clinical standards and best practices as provided by the 988 |
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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; and |
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(2) pay the trust company's expenses of managing the |
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trust fund's assets. |
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(e) The trust company shall hold and invest the trust |
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fund. The trust fund may be invested with the state treasury pool |
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and may be pooled with other state assets for purposes of |
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investment. |
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(f) The overall objective for the investment of the trust |
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fund is to maintain sufficient liquidity to meet the needs of the |
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trust fund. |
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(g) The trust company may acquire, exchange, sell, |
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supervise, manage, or retain any kind of investment that a prudent |
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investor, exercising reasonable care, skill, and caution, would |
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acquire or retain in light of the purposes, terms, distribution |
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requirements, and other circumstances of the trust fund then |
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prevailing, taking into consideration the investment of all the |
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assets of the trust fund rather than a single investment. |
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(h) The reasonable expenses of managing the trust fund's |
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assets shall be paid from the trust fund. |
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(i) The commission at least annually, and more frequently as |
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appropriate, shall provide to the trust company a forecast of the |
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cash flows into and out of the trust fund to ensure the trust |
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company is able to achieve the purposes of this section. |
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(j) The state may not transfer or use trust fund assets for |
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any purpose other than the uses provided in this section. |
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Sec. 547.0552. CRISIS CENTER ANNUAL REPORT. (a) In this |
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section, "crisis center" means a center participating in the 988 |
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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network to respond to statewide or |
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regional communications. |
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(b) The commission shall prepare an annual report of the |
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usage of crisis centers in this state and the services provided by |
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the centers. |
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(c) The commission shall present the annual report to the |
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legislature and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services |
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Administration. |
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SECTION 2. (a) In this section, "commission" means the |
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Health and Human Services Commission. |
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(b) The commission, in collaboration with the Commission on |
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State Emergency Communications and any other state agency the |
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commission determines appropriate, shall conduct a study on the |
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implementation of funding mechanisms to support the operation of |
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the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, including an evaluation of the |
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feasibility of establishing a service fee on telecommunication |
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services. |
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(c) The study must evaluate how the establishment of a |
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telecommunication service fee or other funding mechanism will help: |
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(1) implement, maintain, or improve the 988 Suicide & |
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Crisis Lifeline, including providing for sufficient staffing |
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levels, implementing technological improvements, and developing |
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the capacity of the lifeline to respond to text messages and other |
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online messages; |
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(2) enhance local response for crisis intervention |
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services; and |
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(3) meet any increased demand on crisis intervention |
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services as a result of any public awareness campaigns regarding |
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the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. |
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(d) Not later than December 1, 2026, the commission shall |
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prepare and submit a report to the legislature on the findings of |
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the study, including any recommendations for enhancing the crisis |
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intervention services capacity of this state and an analysis of the |
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efficacy of implementing a telecommunication service fee or other |
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funding mechanism for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. |
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(e) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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* * * * * |