Bill Text: TX HB35 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a peer support network for first responders.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)
Status: (Passed) 2025-06-20 - Effective on 9/1/25 [HB35 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB35-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 35 | ||
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| relating to a peer support network for first responders. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter K to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER K. FIRST RESPONDER PEER SUPPORT NETWORK | ||
| Sec. 418.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Emergency medical services personnel" has the | ||
| meaning assigned by Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| (2) "Firefighter" means a firefighter who is a | ||
| permanent, paid employee or a volunteer of a state agency or the | ||
| fire department of a political subdivision. | ||
| (3) "First responder" means emergency medical | ||
| services personnel or a firefighter. | ||
| (4) "Peer" means a person who is a first responder or | ||
| retired first responder. | ||
| Sec. 418.352. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The division | ||
| shall develop a first responder peer support network. The network | ||
| must include: | ||
| (1) peer-to-peer support; | ||
| (2) training for peer service coordinators and peers | ||
| that includes suicide prevention training; | ||
| (3) technical assistance for program development and | ||
| implementation; and | ||
| (4) identification, retention, and screening of | ||
| licensed mental health professionals. | ||
| (b) As part of the first responder peer support network, the | ||
| division: | ||
| (1) shall ensure first responders have support in both | ||
| urban and rural jurisdictions to the extent possible through the | ||
| use of division resources; and | ||
| (2) may establish a program to connect first | ||
| responders with clinical resources at no cost to the first | ||
| responders. | ||
| (c) The division shall solicit and ensure that specialized | ||
| training is provided to persons who are peers and who want to | ||
| provide peer-to-peer support and other peer-to-peer services under | ||
| the network. | ||
| Sec. 418.353. CONFIDENTIALITY OF PARTICIPANT INFORMATION. | ||
| Information relating to a first responder's participation in | ||
| peer-to-peer support and other peer-to-peer services under the | ||
| network is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter | ||
| 552. | ||
| Sec. 418.354. ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than December 1 of | ||
| each year, the division shall submit a report to the governor and | ||
| the legislature that includes: | ||
| (1) the number of first responders who received peer | ||
| support through the network; | ||
| (2) the number of peers trained, the number of first | ||
| responders the peers served, and the retention rate of peers; | ||
| (3) the number and location of regional network | ||
| facilities in operation; | ||
| (4) the number of critical incident events responded | ||
| to by the network; | ||
| (5) an evaluation of the services provided under this | ||
| subchapter; and | ||
| (6) recommendations for program improvements. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 419.036, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: | ||
| (e) The commission may not take disciplinary action against | ||
| a regulated person based on the person's participation in | ||
| peer-to-peer support and other peer-to-peer services and may not | ||
| consider the person's participation during any disciplinary | ||
| proceeding under this chapter. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 773.061, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: | ||
| (f) The department may not take disciplinary action against | ||
| a person described by Subsection (a)(1) based on the person's | ||
| participation in peer-to-peer support and other peer-to-peer | ||
| services and may not consider the person's participation during any | ||
| disciplinary proceeding under this chapter. | ||
| SECTION 4. Not later than March 31, 2026, the Texas Division | ||
| of Emergency Management shall develop the first responder peer | ||
| support network required by Subchapter K, Chapter 418, Government | ||
| Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is | ||
| required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates | ||
| money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not | ||
| appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the division may, | ||
| but is not required to, implement this Act using other | ||
| appropriations available for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 35 was passed by the House on May 1, | ||
| 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 116, Nays 27, 1 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 35 on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 95, Nays 41, 1 | ||
| present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 35 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 25, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
