BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1457

By: Rosenthal

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Military culture is unique and, in order to understand the intricacies of the military experience, those who do not have a military background and who work with military personnel to provide mental health services need specific training. To better provide mental health services to this unique population, it is important that agencies undergo training on sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder, and awareness of personal beliefs with respect to military worldview and culture. H.B. 1457 seeks to ensure that entities receiving grants to provide mental health services for veterans or veterans' families have proper training in this regard.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1457 amends the Government Code and Health and Safety Code to condition the authority of a state agency, including the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), to award a grant to an entity for the provision of mental health services to veterans or veterans' families on the entity demonstrating one of the following:

·         that it has previously received and successfully executed a grant from the agency; or

·         that it provides training on military informed care or military cultural competency to its personnel who provide the mental health services or requires those personnel to complete military competency training provided by certain applicable state or federal agencies or nonprofit organizations.

The bill requires the Texas Veterans Commission and DSHS to jointly verify that each state agency authorized to award these grants has adopted policies to ensure compliance with the bill's requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.