Bill Text: TX HB1669 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to increasing and improving the mental health and substance use disorder workforce in this state and increasing the capacity of local mental health authorities to provide access to mental health services in certain counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-24 - Returned from the House for further action [HB1669 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1669-Comm_Sub.html
By: Lucio III (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) | H.B. No. 1669 | |
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2019; | ||
April 29, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Health & | ||
Human Services; May 19, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable | ||
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; | ||
May 19, 2019, sent to printer.) | ||
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1669 | By: Perry |
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relating to increasing and improving the mental health and | ||
substance use disorder workforce in this state and increasing the | ||
capacity of local mental health authorities to provide access to | ||
mental health services in certain counties. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Sections 531.0221 and 531.02253 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 531.0221. INITIATIVE TO INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH | ||
SERVICES CAPACITY IN RURAL AREAS. (a) In this section, "local | ||
mental health authority group" means a group of local mental health | ||
authorities established under Subsection (b)(2). | ||
(b) Not later than January 1, 2020, the commission, using | ||
existing resources, shall: | ||
(1) identify each local mental health authority that | ||
is located in a county with a population of 250,000 or less or that | ||
the commission determines provides services predominantly in a | ||
county with a population of 250,000 or less; | ||
(2) in a manner that the commission determines will | ||
best achieve the reductions described by Subsection (d), assign the | ||
authorities identified under Subdivision (1) to regional groups of | ||
at least two authorities; and | ||
(3) notify each authority identified under | ||
Subdivision (1): | ||
(A) that the commission has identified the | ||
authority under that subdivision; and | ||
(B) which local mental health authority group the | ||
commission assigned the authority to under Subdivision (2). | ||
(c) The commission, using existing resources, shall develop | ||
a mental health services development plan for each local mental | ||
health authority group that will increase the capacity of the | ||
authorities in the group to provide access to needed services. | ||
(d) In developing a plan under Subsection (c), the | ||
commission shall focus on reducing: | ||
(1) the cost to local governments of providing | ||
services to persons experiencing a mental health crisis; | ||
(2) the transportation of persons served by an | ||
authority in the local mental health authority group to mental | ||
health facilities; | ||
(3) the incarceration of persons with mental illness | ||
in county jails that are located in an area served by an authority | ||
in the local mental health authority group; and | ||
(4) the number of hospital emergency room visits by | ||
persons with mental illness at hospitals located in an area served | ||
by an authority in the local mental health authority group. | ||
(e) In developing a plan under Subsection (c): | ||
(1) the commission shall assess the capacity of the | ||
authorities in the local mental health authority group to provide | ||
access to needed services; and | ||
(2) the commission and the local mental health | ||
authority group shall evaluate: | ||
(A) whether and to what degree increasing the | ||
capacity of the authorities in the local mental health authority | ||
group to provide access to needed services would offset the cost to | ||
state or local governmental entities of: | ||
(i) the transportation of persons for | ||
mental health services to facilities that are not local providers; | ||
(ii) admissions to and inpatient | ||
hospitalizations at state hospitals or other treatment facilities; | ||
(iii) the provision of services by hospital | ||
emergency rooms to persons with mental illness who are served by or | ||
reside in an area served by an authority in the local mental health | ||
authority group; and | ||
(iv) the incarceration in county jails of | ||
persons with mental illness who are served by or reside in an area | ||
served by an authority in the local mental health authority group; | ||
(B) whether available state funds or grant | ||
funding sources could be used to fund the plan; and | ||
(C) what measures would be necessary to ensure | ||
that the plan aligns with the statewide behavioral health strategic | ||
plan and the comprehensive inpatient mental health plan. | ||
(f) In each mental health services development plan | ||
produced under this section, the commission, in collaboration with | ||
the local mental health authority group, shall determine a method | ||
of increasing the capacity of the authorities in the local mental | ||
health authority group to provide access to needed services. | ||
(g) The commission shall compile and evaluate each mental | ||
health services development plan produced under this section and | ||
determine: | ||
(1) the cost-effectiveness of each plan; and | ||
(2) how each plan would improve the delivery of mental | ||
health treatment and care to residents in the service areas of the | ||
authorities in the local mental health authority group. | ||
(h) Not later than December 1, 2020, the commission, using | ||
existing resources, shall produce and publish on its Internet | ||
website a report containing: | ||
(1) the commission's evaluation of each plan under | ||
Subsection (g); | ||
(2) each mental health services development plan | ||
evaluated by the commission under Subsection (g); and | ||
(3) a comprehensive statewide analysis of mental | ||
health services in counties with a population of 250,000 or less, | ||
including recommendations to the legislature for implementing the | ||
plans developed under this section. | ||
(i) The commission and the authorities in each local mental | ||
health authority group may implement a mental health services | ||
development plan evaluated by the commission under this section if | ||
the commission and the local mental health authority group to which | ||
the plan applies identify a method of funding that implementation. | ||
(j) This section expires September 1, 2021. | ||
Sec. 531.02253. COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE PLAN FOR MENTAL | ||
HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE. (a) The statewide behavioral health | ||
coordinating council, under the direction of the commission, shall | ||
develop and the commission shall implement a comprehensive plan to | ||
increase and improve the workforce in this state to serve persons | ||
with mental health and substance use issues. In developing the | ||
plan, the council shall analyze and consider available studies, | ||
reports, and recommendations regarding that segment of the | ||
workforce in this state or elsewhere. | ||
(b) The plan must include: | ||
(1) a strategy and timeline for implementing the plan, | ||
including short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals; | ||
(2) a system for monitoring the implementation of the | ||
plan; and | ||
(3) a method for evaluating the outcomes of the plan. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2020, the statewide | ||
behavioral health coordinating council shall develop and the Health | ||
and Human Services Commission shall begin implementing the plan | ||
required under Section 531.02253, Government Code, as added by this | ||
Act. | ||
SECTION 3. The statewide behavioral health coordinating | ||
council and the Health and Human Services Commission are required | ||
to implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature | ||
appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the | ||
legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that | ||
purpose, the council and the commission may, but are not required | ||
to, implement the provision using other appropriations made to the | ||
commission that are available for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
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