Bill Text: TX HB2356 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a veteran suicide tracking system and required reporting of veteran suicides by certain persons.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-22 - Left pending in committee [HB2356 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2356-Introduced.html
87R3599 SRA-D | ||
By: Neave | H.B. No. 2356 |
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relating to a veteran suicide tracking system and required | ||
reporting of veteran suicides by certain persons. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 434.027 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 434.027. VETERAN SUICIDE TRACKING SYSTEM; REQUIRED | ||
REPORTING OF CERTAIN SUICIDES. (a) The Texas Veterans Commission, | ||
in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans | ||
Affairs, shall develop and maintain a system for tracking the | ||
number of veteran suicides in this state and determining the number | ||
of those veterans who received services from the United States | ||
Department of Veterans Affairs. The tracking system must include | ||
data: | ||
(1) available from the United States Department of | ||
Veterans Affairs; and | ||
(2) reported to the commission under Subsection (b). | ||
(b) A person who knows that the cause of death for a veteran | ||
is suicide shall report the suicide to the Texas Veterans | ||
Commission and provide any information the person has that may | ||
assist the commission in determining whether the veteran received | ||
services from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. | ||
(c) The following persons shall provide to the Texas | ||
Veterans Commission in accordance with Subsection (b) any relevant | ||
information the person obtains related to the suicide of a veteran: | ||
(1) a medical examiner or a justice of the peace who is | ||
acting as a coroner; | ||
(2) a health care facility licensed under Subtitle B, | ||
Title 4, Health and Safety Code; or | ||
(3) a mental health facility, as defined by Section | ||
571.003, Health and Safety Code. | ||
(d) Information about the suicide of a veteran obtained | ||
under this chapter is confidential and is not subject to disclosure | ||
under Chapter 552, Government Code, is not subject to subpoena, and | ||
may not otherwise be released or made public. | ||
(e) Not later than December 31 of each year, the Texas | ||
Veterans Commission shall submit to the legislature a report that | ||
includes: | ||
(1) the number of veteran suicides that were reported | ||
to the commission under this section during the preceding year; | ||
(2) the number of veterans described by Subdivision | ||
(1) who received services from the United States Department of | ||
Veterans Affairs; | ||
(3) information on whether the rate of veteran | ||
suicides in this state is decreasing or increasing; | ||
(4) an evaluation of the effectiveness of statewide | ||
prevention and awareness campaigns in decreasing the number of | ||
veteran suicides in this state; and | ||
(5) recommendations for improving the effectiveness | ||
of statewide prevention and awareness campaigns. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2021, the Texas | ||
Veterans Commission shall develop the tracking system required by | ||
Section 434.027, Government Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding Section 434.027, Government | ||
Code, as added by this Act: | ||
(1) a person is not required to comply with Section | ||
434.027(c) until January 1, 2022; and | ||
(2) the Texas Veterans Commission is not required to | ||
submit a report required by Section 434.027(e) to the legislature | ||
until December 31, 2022. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |