HB 114 Introduced

Relating to the transition of certain veterans’ mental health initiatives from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Veterans Commission. 

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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 

AN ACT

 

relating to the transition of certain veterans’ mental health

 

initiatives from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to

 

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 434.0172 to read as follows:

 

       Sec. 434.0172.  GRANT PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR

 

VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. (a) To the extent funds are

 

appropriated to the commission for that purpose, the commission

 

shall establish a grant program for the purpose of supporting

 

community mental health programs providing services and treatment

 

to veterans and their families.

 

       (b)  The commission shall ensure that each grant recipient

 

obtains or secures contributions to match awarded grants in amounts

 

of money or other consideration. The money or other consideration

 

obtained or secured by the commission may, as determined by the

 

executive director, include cash or in-kind contributions from

 

private contributors or local governments but may not include state

 

or federal funds.

 

       (c)  Money appropriated to, or obtained by, the commission

 

for the grant program must be disbursed directly to grant

 

recipients by the commission, as authorized by the executive

 

director.

 

       (c-1)  For services and treatment provided in a single

 

county, the commission shall condition each grant provided under

 

this section on a potential grant recipient providing funds from

 

non-state sources in a total amount at least equal to:

 

             (1)  25 percent of the grant amount if the community

 

mental health program to be supported by the grant provides

 

services and treatment in a county with a population of less than

 

100,000;

 

             (2)  50 percent of the grant amount if the community

 

mental health program to be supported by the grant provides

 

services and treatment in a county with a population of 100,000 or

 

more but less than 250,000; or

 

             (3)  100 percent of the grant amount if the community

 

mental health program to be supported by the grant provides

 

services and treatment in a county with a population of 250,000 or

 

more.

 

       (c-2)  For a community mental health program that provides

 

services and treatment in more than one county, the commission

 

shall condition each grant provided under this section on a

 

potential grant recipient providing funds from non-state sources in

 

a total amount at least equal to:

 

             (1)  25 percent of the grant amount if the county with

 

the largest population in which the community mental health program

 

to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a

 

population of less than 100,000;

 

             (2)  50 percent of the grant amount if the county with

 

the largest population in which the community mental health program

 

to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a

 

population of 100,000 or more but less than 250,000; or

 

             (3)  100 percent of the grant amount if the county with

 

the largest population in which the community mental health program

 

to be supported by the grant provides services and treatment has a

 

population of 250,000 or more.

 

       (d)  All grants awarded under the grant program must be used

 

for the sole purpose of supporting community programs that provide

 

mental health care services and treatment to veterans and their

 

families and that coordinate mental health care services for

 

veterans and their families with other transition support services.

 

       (e)  The commission shall select grant recipients based on

 

the submission of applications or proposals by nonprofit and

 

governmental entities. The executive director shall develop

 

criteria for the evaluation of those applications or proposals and

 

the selection of grant recipients. The selection criteria must:

 

             (1)  evaluate and score:

 

                   (A)  fiscal controls for the project;

 

                   (B)  project effectiveness;

 

                   (C)  project cost; and

 

                   (D)  an applicant’s previous experience with

 

grants and contracts;

 

             (2)  address the possibility of and method for making

 

multiple awards; and

 

             (3)  include other factors that the executive director

 

considers relevant.

 

       (f)  A reasonable amount not to exceed five percent of the

 

money appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of this

 

section may be used by the commission to pay administrative costs of

 

implementing this section.

 

       SECTION 2.  Section 434.352, Government Code, is amended to

 

read as follows:

 

       Sec. 434.352.  GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The

 

commission [and the Health and Human Services Commission] shall

 

[coordinate to] administer the mental health program for veterans

 

developed under this chapter [Chapter 1001, Health and Safety

 

Code].

 

       (a-1)  The mental health program for veterans must include:

 

             (1)  peer-to-peer counseling;

 

             (2)  access to licensed mental health professionals for

 

peer service coordinators and peers;

 

             (3)  training approved by the commission for peer

 

service coordinators, licensed mental health professionals, and

 

peers;

 

             (4)  technical assistance for peer service

 

coordinators, licensed mental health professionals, and peers;

 

             (5)  identification, retention, and screening of

 

community-based licensed mental health professionals;

 

             (6)  suicide prevention training for peer service

 

coordinators and peers;

 

             (7)  veteran jail diversion services, including

 

veterans treatment courts; and

 

             (8)  coordination of mental health first aid for

 

veterans training to veterans and immediate family members of

 

veterans.

 

       (b)  For the mental health program for veterans, the

 

commission shall:

 

             (1)  provide training to peer service coordinators and

 

peers in accordance with Section 434.353;

 

             (2)  provide technical assistance to peer service

 

coordinators and peers;

 

             (3)  identify, train, and communicate with

 

community-based licensed mental health professionals,

 

community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations;

 

             (4)  coordinate services for justice involved

 

veterans;

 

             (5)  coordinate local delivery to veterans and

 

immediate family members of veterans of mental health first aid for

 

veterans training; [and]

 

             (6)  employ and train mental health professionals to

 

administer [assist the Health and Human Services Commission in the

 

administration of] the program;

 

             (7)  develop a rural veterans mental health initiative

 

and a women veterans mental health initiative; and

 

             (8)  solicit and ensure that specialized training is

 

provided to persons who are peers and who want to provide

 

peer-to-peer counseling or other peer-to-peer services under the

 

program.

 

       (c)  Subject to Section 434.3525, the executive director of

 

the commission shall appoint a program director to administer the

 

mental health program for veterans.

 

       (d)  The commission shall provide appropriate facilities in

 

support of the mental health program for veterans to the extent

 

funding is available for that purpose.

 

       (e)  A state agency may not award a grant to an entity for the

 

provision of mental health services to veterans or veterans’

 

families unless the entity demonstrates the entity:

 

             (1)  has previously received and successfully executed

 

a grant from the state agency; or

 

             (2)  provides training on military informed care or

 

military cultural competency to entity personnel who provide mental

 

health services to veterans or veterans’ families or requires those

 

personnel to complete military competency training provided by any

 

of the following:

 

                   (A)  the commission;

 

                   (B)  the Health and Human Services Commission;

 

                   (C)  the Military Veteran Peer Network;

 

                   (D)  the Substance Abuse and Mental Health

 

Services Administration within the United States Department of

 

Health and Human Services;

 

                   (E)  the United States Department of Defense;

 

                   (F)  the United States Department of Veterans

 

Affairs; or

 

                   (G)  a nonprofit organization that is exempt from

 

federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code

 

of 1986, by being listed as an exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3)

 

of that code, with experience in providing training or technical

 

assistance to entities that provide mental health services to

 

veterans or veterans’ families.

 

       (f)  The commission and the Health and Human Services

 

Commission [Department of State Health Services] shall jointly

 

verify that each state agency authorized to award a grant subject to

 

the requirements of Subsection (e) has adopted policies to ensure

 

compliance with Subsection (e).

 

       SECTION 3.  Subchapter H, Chapter 434, Government Code, is

 

amended by adding Section 434.354 to read as follows:

 

       Sec. 434.354.  ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than December 1 of

 

each year, the commission shall submit a report to the governor and

 

the legislature that includes:

 

             (1)  the number of veterans who received services

 

through the mental health program for veterans;

 

             (2)  the number of peers and peer service coordinators

 

trained;

 

             (3)  an evaluation of the services provided under this

 

subchapter; and

 

             (4)  recommendations for program improvements.

 

       SECTION 4.  Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by

 

adding Subchapter J to read as follows:

 

SUBCHAPTER J. VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN.

 

       Sec. 434.501.  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 initiatives and reforms

 

must be fully implemented by September 1, 2027.

 

       (d)  This subchapter expires September 1, 2027.

 

       SECTION 5.  The following provisions are repealed:

 

             (1)  Subchapter I, Chapter 1001, Health and Safety

 

Code; and

 

             (2)  Sections 531.0925 and 531.0992, Government Code.

 

       SECTION 6.  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, 2025. 

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