Bill Text: TX SB578 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the creation by the Health and Human Services Commission of a veteran suicide prevention action plan.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-09 - Effective immediately [SB578 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB578-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to the creation by the Health and Human Services Commission of a veteran suicide prevention action plan.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-09 - Effective immediately [SB578 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB578-Comm_Sub.html
85R31495 MM-F | ||
By: Lucio, et al. | S.B. No. 578 | |
(Gutierrez, Blanco) | ||
Substitute the following for S.B. No. 578: No. |
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relating to measures to facilitate the delivery of certain mental | ||
health services for veterans. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 74, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 74.155 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 74.155. NATIONAL CENTER FOR WARRIOR RESILIENCY. (a) | ||
In this section: | ||
(1) "Board" means the board of regents of The | ||
University of Texas System. | ||
(2) "Center" means the National Center for Warrior | ||
Resiliency. | ||
(b) The board shall establish the National Center for | ||
Warrior Resiliency at The University of Texas Health Science Center | ||
at San Antonio for purposes of: | ||
(1) researching issues relating to the detection, | ||
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of combat-related | ||
post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid conditions; and | ||
(2) providing clinical care to enhance the | ||
psychological resiliency of military personnel and veterans. | ||
(c) The organization, control, and management of the center | ||
are vested in the board. | ||
(d) The board shall: | ||
(1) provide for the employment of staff and an | ||
operating budget for the center; and | ||
(2) select a site for the center at The University of | ||
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. | ||
(e) The board may solicit, accept, and administer gifts and | ||
grants from any public or private source for the use and benefit of | ||
the center. | ||
(f) The center may enter into agreements or otherwise | ||
collaborate with public or private entities, including other public | ||
institutions of higher education, private or independent | ||
institutions of higher education, the United States Department of | ||
Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Defense, the | ||
National Institutes of Health, and the Texas Veterans Commission, | ||
to perform the research functions of the center. | ||
(g) An employee of the center is an employee of The | ||
University of Texas System. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 531.0999 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 531.0999. VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN. | ||
(a) The commission, in collaboration with the Texas Coordinating | ||
Council for Veterans Services, the United States Department of | ||
Veterans Affairs, the Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families | ||
Technical Assistance Center Implementation Academy of the | ||
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the | ||
United States Department of Health and Human Services, veteran | ||
advocacy groups, medical providers, and any other organization or | ||
interested party the commission considers appropriate, shall | ||
develop a comprehensive action plan to increase access to and | ||
availability of professional veteran health services to prevent | ||
veteran suicides. | ||
(b) The action plan must: | ||
(1) identify opportunities for raising awareness of | ||
and providing resources for veteran suicide prevention; | ||
(2) identify opportunities to increase access to | ||
veteran mental health services; | ||
(3) identify funding resources to provide accessible, | ||
affordable veteran mental health services; | ||
(4) provide measures to expand public-private | ||
partnerships to ensure access to quality, timely mental health | ||
services; | ||
(5) provide for proactive outreach measures to reach | ||
veterans needing care; | ||
(6) provide for peer-to-peer service coordination, | ||
including training, certification, recertification, and continuing | ||
education for peer coordinators; and | ||
(7) address suicide prevention awareness, measures, | ||
and training regarding veterans involved in the justice system. | ||
(c) The commission shall make specific short-term and | ||
long-term statutory, administrative, and budget-related | ||
recommendations to the legislature and the governor regarding the | ||
policy initiatives and reforms necessary to implement the action | ||
plan developed under this section. The short-term recommendations | ||
must include a plan for state implementation beginning not later | ||
than September 1, 2019. The initiatives and reforms in the | ||
short-term plan must be fully implemented by September 1, 2021. The | ||
long-term recommendations must include a plan for state | ||
implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2021. The | ||
initiatives and reforms in the long-term plan must be fully | ||
implemented by September 1, 2027. | ||
(d) The commission shall include in its strategic plan under | ||
Chapter 2056 the plans for implementation of the short-term and | ||
long-term recommendations under Subsection (c). | ||
(e) This section expires September 1, 2027. | ||
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. |