Bill Text: TX SB1986 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an advisory committee on mental health issues affecting veterans within the Texas Veterans Commission.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-27 - Referred to Vet Affairs & Border Security [SB1986 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1986-Introduced.html
| 85R14686 JG-D | ||
| By: Lucio | S.B. No. 1986 | |
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| relating to the creation of an advisory committee on mental health | ||
| issues affecting veterans within the Texas Veterans Commission. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 434.0102 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 434.0102. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH. (a) | ||
| The commission shall establish an advisory committee on mental | ||
| health issues affecting veterans to: | ||
| (1) advise the commission on mental health issues | ||
| affecting veterans; | ||
| (2) identify and study mental health issues affecting | ||
| veterans, including suicide; | ||
| (3) assess existing mental health services for | ||
| veterans, including services aimed at suicide prevention; and | ||
| (4) develop recommendations to improve and increase | ||
| mental health services for veterans, including services aimed at | ||
| suicide prevention. | ||
| (b) The advisory committee is composed of members appointed | ||
| by the executive director. The committee must include at least: | ||
| (1) one member who is a mental health professional; | ||
| (2) one member who is a mental health advocate; | ||
| (3) one member who is a member of the Texas Medical | ||
| Association; and | ||
| (4) one member who is a representative of the United | ||
| States Department of Veterans Affairs. | ||
| (c) The executive director may appoint as many members to | ||
| the advisory committee as the executive director considers | ||
| appropriate to achieve the purposes of the committee. | ||
| (d) The executive director shall appoint one member of the | ||
| advisory committee to serve as presiding officer. | ||
| (e) A member of the advisory committee may not receive | ||
| compensation for service on the committee, but is entitled to | ||
| reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in | ||
| performing committee duties. The committee may accept gifts, | ||
| grants, and donations to pay for those expenses. | ||
| (f) The advisory committee shall meet at least quarterly at | ||
| the call of the presiding officer and at other times as determined | ||
| by the presiding officer. The committee may hold a meeting by | ||
| telephone conference call or videoconference. | ||
| (g) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, | ||
| the advisory committee shall submit a written or electronic report | ||
| to the commission, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the | ||
| speaker of the house of representatives, and each member of the | ||
| legislature with its findings and recommendations described under | ||
| Subsection (a). | ||
| (h) The commission shall adopt any rules necessary to | ||
| implement this section, including rules governing the terms of and | ||
| any additional qualifications for members of the advisory | ||
| committee. | ||
| (i) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the advisory committee. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2017, the executive | ||
| director of the Texas Veterans Commission shall appoint members to | ||
| the advisory committee established under Section 434.0102, | ||
| Government Code, as added by 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, 2017. | ||
