Bill Text: TX SB1689 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to confidential mental health screenings for students in public primary and secondary schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-22 - Referred to Education [SB1689 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1689-Introduced.html
| 85R8595 GCB-D | ||
| By: Lucio | S.B. No. 1689 | |
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| relating to confidential mental health screenings for students in | ||
| public primary and secondary schools. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 12, Health and Safety | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 12.022 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 12.022. CONFIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS IN | ||
| PUBLIC SCHOOLS. (a) In this section, "agency" means the Texas | ||
| Education Agency. | ||
| (b) The department shall collaborate with the agency to | ||
| develop a plan for providing confidential mental health screenings | ||
| to students enrolled in public primary and secondary schools for | ||
| the purpose of identifying students who face mental health | ||
| challenges or show warning signs of mental illness. | ||
| (c) In developing the plan under Subsection (b), the | ||
| department and the agency: | ||
| (1) may consult with and seek assistance from the | ||
| Texas Medical Association, state psychiatric organizations, and, | ||
| as appropriate, other medical health and mental health | ||
| professionals and organizations; and | ||
| (2) shall determine whether: | ||
| (A) school districts employ persons who are | ||
| trained or otherwise qualified to conduct confidential mental | ||
| health screenings; | ||
| (B) each regional education service center has | ||
| the capacity for providing assistance in conducting confidential | ||
| mental health screenings at school districts; and | ||
| (C) any additional resources are available for | ||
| implementing confidential mental health screenings at school | ||
| districts. | ||
| (d) After developing the plan under Subsection (b), the | ||
| department and the agency shall provide confidential mental health | ||
| screenings to as many students enrolled in public primary and | ||
| secondary schools as practicable, using resources identified by the | ||
| department and the agency as available for that purpose. | ||
| (e) The consent of a parent or guardian of a student must be | ||
| obtained before a student receives a confidential mental health | ||
| screening under this section. | ||
| (f) The department and the agency may solicit grants or | ||
| charitable donations to provide confidential mental health | ||
| screenings for students from low-income households. | ||
| (g) Based on the implementation of the plan under Subsection | ||
| (d), the department and the agency shall develop a framework for | ||
| providing assistance and education to students whose confidential | ||
| mental health screenings indicate mental health challenges or | ||
| warning signs of mental illness. | ||
| (h) For a student whose confidential mental health | ||
| screening indicates mental health challenges that are not severe, | ||
| the entity conducting the confidential mental health screenings may | ||
| provide to the student an individual plan for overcoming mental | ||
| health challenges. | ||
| (i) For a student whose confidential mental health | ||
| screening indicates severe mental health challenges or warning | ||
| signs of mental illness, the entity conducting the confidential | ||
| mental health screenings shall provide notice to the parent or | ||
| guardian of the student containing information about: | ||
| (1) requesting a full individual and initial | ||
| evaluation of a student for purposes of special education services | ||
| under Section 29.004, Education Code; and | ||
| (2) other available treatment resources for the | ||
| student, including evaluation by an appropriate medical | ||
| practitioner. | ||
| (j) Not later than November 1, 2018, the department and the | ||
| agency jointly shall produce and submit a report to the lieutenant | ||
| governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each | ||
| legislative standing committee with jurisdiction over public and | ||
| primary education or mental health services. The report must | ||
| contain: | ||
| (1) a description of the plan developed under | ||
| Subsection (b); | ||
| (2) the results of the determinations made under | ||
| Subsection (c)(2); | ||
| (3) an analysis of the results of the confidential | ||
| mental health screenings conducted under this section; and | ||
| (4) recommendations for: | ||
| (A) assisting students with overcoming mental | ||
| health challenges; and | ||
| (B) legislative or other state action necessary | ||
| to: | ||
| (i) provide mental health education to | ||
| students; and | ||
| (ii) build state capacity for providing | ||
| mental health services to students. | ||
| (k) This section expires September 1, 2019. | ||
| SECTION 2. 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. | ||
