Bill Text: TX SB1507 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the statewide coordination and oversight of forensic mental health services overseen by the Department of State Health Services, including the appointment of a forensic director.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-28 - Effective immediately [SB1507 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1507-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to the statewide coordination and oversight of forensic mental health services overseen by the Department of State Health Services, including the appointment of a forensic director.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-05-28 - Effective immediately [SB1507 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1507-Introduced.html
84R8446 GCB-D | ||
By: Garcia, Rodríguez | S.B. No. 1507 |
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relating to the appointment of a forensic medical director | ||
responsible for statewide coordination and oversight of forensic | ||
mental health services provided by the Department of State Health | ||
Services. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 532, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
by adding Section 532.013 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 532.013. FORENSIC MEDICAL DIRECTOR. (a) In this | ||
section: | ||
(1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the | ||
department. | ||
(2) "Department" means the Department of State Health | ||
Services. | ||
(3) "Forensic patient" means a person with mental | ||
illness who is: | ||
(A) found incompetent to stand trial under | ||
Subchapter C, Chapter 46B, Code of Criminal Procedure; | ||
(B) committed to court-ordered mental health | ||
services under Subchapter E, Chapter 46B, Code of Criminal | ||
Procedure; | ||
(C) as described by Subchapter F, Chapter 46B, | ||
Code of Criminal Procedure, subject to a civil commitment | ||
proceeding under Subtitle C, Title 7, for court-ordered mental | ||
health services under that subtitle; or | ||
(D) found not guilty by reason of insanity under | ||
Chapter 46C, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
(4) "Forensic services" means competency restoration | ||
services or mental health services provided a forensic patient at a | ||
department facility. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall appoint a forensic medical | ||
director. | ||
(c) To be qualified for appointment as forensic medical | ||
director, a person must: | ||
(1) be a physician licensed to practice in this state; | ||
and | ||
(2) have proven expertise in forensic services. | ||
(d) The forensic medical director reports to the | ||
commissioner and is responsible for: | ||
(1) statewide coordination and oversight of forensic | ||
services; | ||
(2) any programs operated by the department relating | ||
to evaluation of forensic patients, transition of forensic patients | ||
from inpatient to outpatient or community-based services, | ||
community forensic monitoring, or forensic research and training; | ||
and | ||
(3) addressing issues with the delivery of forensic | ||
services in the state, including: | ||
(A) significant increases in populations with | ||
serious mental illness and criminal justice system involvement; | ||
(B) adequate availability of department | ||
facilities for civilly committed forensic patients; | ||
(C) wait times for forensic patients who require | ||
competency restoration services; | ||
(D) interruption of mental health services of | ||
recently released forensic patients; and | ||
(E) coordination of services provided forensic | ||
patients by state agencies. | ||
SECTION 2. The commissioner of the Department of State | ||
Health Services shall appoint a forensic medical director as | ||
required by Section 532.013, Health and Safety Code, as added by | ||
this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this | ||
Act. | ||
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, 2015. |