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.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
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. |