BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) contracts with 39 local mental health authorities (LMHAs) to deliver mental health services to Texans. HHSC contracts with each LMHA to locally provide these services.

The 86th Legislature passed S.B. 633 as a one-time initiative to better leverage the resources of individual LMHAs by requiring LMHAs to work together on a regional plan to build new capacity, reduce local government costs, lower emergency room visits, and reduce transportation costs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regional planning groups were only able to partially fulfill the legislative intent of S.B. 633.

S.B. 454 directs the continuation of the LMHA regional planning groups and makes the planning process permanent.

(Original Author's / Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.S.B. 454 amends current law relating to mental health services development plans as updated by the Health and Human Services Commission and local mental health authority groups.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, by adding Section 531.0222, as follows:

Sec. 531.0222.  LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY GROUP REGIONAL PLANNING. (a) Defines "local mental health authority group."

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(b) Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to require each local mental health authority group to meet at least quarterly to collaborate on planning and implementing regional strategies to reduce:

(1) costs to local governments of providing services to persons experiencing a mental health crisis;

(2) transportation to mental health facilities of persons served by an authority that is a member of the group;

(3)  incarceration of persons with mental illness in county jails that are located in an area served by an authority that is a member of the group; and

(4) visits by persons with mental illness at hospital emergency rooms located in an area served by an authority that is a member of the group.

(c) Requires HHSC to use federal funds in accordance with state and federal guidelines to implement this section.

(d) Requires HHSC, in coordination with each local mental health authority group, to annually update the mental health services development plan that was initially developed by HHSC and each local mental health authority group under Chapter 963 (S.B. 633), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019. Requires that HHSC and each group's updated plan include a description of:

(1) actions taken by the group to implement regional strategies in the plan; and

(2)  new regional strategies identified by the group to reduce the circumstances described by Subsection (b), including the estimated number of outpatient and inpatient beds necessary to meet the goals of each group's regional strategy.

(e) Requires HHSC, not later than December 1 of each year, to produce and publish on its Internet website a report containing the most recent version of each mental health services development plan developed by HHSC and a local mental health authority group.

SECTION 2. Provides that, notwithstanding Section 531.0222, Government Code, as added by this Act, a local mental health authority group and HHSC are not required to produce or publish a report required by that section before December 1, 2022.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.