Bill Text: TX HB3407 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a task force to address suicide prevention at public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-31 - Referred to Higher Education [HB3407 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB3407-Introduced.html
85R11987 MM-D | ||
By: Thierry | H.B. No. 3407 |
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relating to the establishment of a task force to address suicide | ||
prevention at public institutions of higher education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter W-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER W-1. TASK FORCE TO PREVENT SUICIDE AT INSTITUTIONS OF | ||
HIGHER EDUCATION | ||
Sec. 51.861. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(2) "Task force" means the task force established | ||
under this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 51.862. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. A task force is | ||
established under this subchapter to develop a strategy to prevent | ||
suicide at institutions of higher education. | ||
Sec. 51.863. TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP. (a) The task force | ||
consists of 13 members appointed as follows: | ||
(1) two members appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house | ||
of representatives; | ||
(4) four members appointed by the presiding officer of | ||
the task force; | ||
(5) one representative from The University of Texas' | ||
counseling and mental health center appointed by the chancellor of | ||
The University of Texas System; | ||
(6) one representative from Texas A&M University's | ||
student counseling services appointed by the chancellor of The | ||
Texas A&M University System; and | ||
(7) one representative of the Department of State | ||
Health Services appointed by the executive commissioner of the | ||
Health and Human Services Commission. | ||
(b) Members of the task force must be individuals who are: | ||
(1) actively involved in the prevention of suicide and | ||
the improvement of student welfare; or | ||
(2) employed by an institution of higher education. | ||
(c) Appointments to the task force shall be made without | ||
regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or | ||
national origin of the appointee. | ||
(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for | ||
service on the task force. | ||
(e) The presiding officer of the task force is the member | ||
who represents The University of Texas' counseling and mental | ||
health center. | ||
(f) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding | ||
officer. The task force may meet by teleconference. | ||
(g) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the | ||
task force. | ||
Sec. 51.864. TASK FORCE DUTIES. (a) The task force shall | ||
identify: | ||
(1) all existing programs in the state relating to | ||
preventing suicide at institutions of higher education; and | ||
(2) the programs described by Subdivision (1) that | ||
receive state money. | ||
(b) The task force shall develop recommendations for | ||
reducing suicide and for improving student welfare at institutions | ||
of higher education. In developing recommendations, the task force | ||
shall: | ||
(1) gather information concerning suicide and student | ||
welfare at institutions of higher education, including information | ||
regarding: | ||
(A) the race, gender, area of study, and year of | ||
study for students who have committed suicide, attempted to commit | ||
suicide, or sought services related to suicide from a counseling | ||
center; | ||
(B) protocols on each campus for responding to | ||
students in distress, intervention, treatment, re-entry, and | ||
post-crisis intervention; | ||
(C) the availability of online resources and | ||
hotlines; | ||
(D) efforts to screen students for behavioral | ||
health disorders and suicidal ideation; | ||
(E) efforts to enforce suicide means restriction | ||
and reduce access to lethal means; | ||
(F) counselor-to-student ratios; | ||
(G) student groups raising awareness about | ||
suicide prevention and behavioral health problems; and | ||
(H) social media coping resources, including | ||
online resources; | ||
(2) receive reports and testimony from individuals, | ||
state and local governmental agencies, community-based | ||
organizations, and other public and private organizations; and | ||
(3) create goals for state policy that would prevent | ||
suicide and improve student welfare at institutions of higher | ||
education. | ||
Sec. 51.865. SUPPORT AGENCY DUTIES. The Texas Higher | ||
Education Coordinating Board, the Department of State Health | ||
Services, The University of Texas System, and The Texas A&M | ||
University System shall: | ||
(1) provide administrative support services to the | ||
task force; | ||
(2) coordinate administrative responsibilities with | ||
the task force to avoid unnecessary duplication of duties; | ||
(3) share the costs of the task force, including | ||
administrative expenses; and | ||
(4) each designate a person to serve as a liaison with | ||
the task force. | ||
Sec. 51.866. CONSULTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES; PRIVATE | ||
FOUNDATIONS. (a) The task force shall consult with employees of | ||
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Department of | ||
State Health Services, The University of Texas System, and The | ||
Texas A&M University System as necessary to accomplish the task | ||
force's responsibilities under this subchapter. | ||
(b) The task force may collaborate as necessary with any | ||
appropriate state agency, including institutions of higher | ||
education. | ||
(c) The task force may consult with private foundations that | ||
have made a substantial commitment to the prevention of suicide to | ||
accomplish the task force's responsibilities under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
Sec. 51.867. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2018, the | ||
task force shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant | ||
governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives a report | ||
that includes: | ||
(1) a description of the activities of the task force; | ||
(2) the findings of the task force on the current state | ||
of suicide at institutions of higher education; | ||
(3) recommendations on best practices for higher | ||
education policies and protocols for preventing suicide; and | ||
(4) any other matter the task force considers | ||
appropriate. | ||
Sec. 51.868. FUNDING; ACCOUNT. (a) The task force shall | ||
review the funding strategies for the task force and develop | ||
proposals for expanding the sources of funds available to finance | ||
the activities of the task force. | ||
(b) The task force may accept gifts and grants from | ||
individuals or private or public organizations and accept federal | ||
and local funds to support the task force. | ||
(c) The suicide prevention task force account is an account | ||
in the general revenue fund. Money in the account may be | ||
appropriated only to the task force for the purposes of this | ||
subchapter. The suicide prevention task force account is exempt | ||
from the application of Section 403.095, Government Code. The | ||
account consists of: | ||
(1) gifts and grants to the task force; | ||
(2) money received by the task force from federal, | ||
state, or local government; and | ||
(3) notwithstanding Section 404.071, Government Code, | ||
all interest attributable to money held in the account. | ||
Sec. 51.869. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and | ||
this subchapter expires September 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 2. The members of the task force shall be appointed | ||
as required by Section 51.863, Education Code, as added by this Act, | ||
not later than October 1, 2017. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |