85R3562 SMT-D
 
  By: White H.B. No. 562
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a committee formed to adopt a plan to deal with mental
  illness in the criminal justice system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 7, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 580 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 580. LOCAL COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH
         Sec. 580.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Committee" means a local committee on mental
  health formed by a local mental health authority.
               (2)  "Department" means the Department of State Health
  Services.
               (3)  "Region" means the local service area for which a
  local mental health authority designated under Section 533.035 is
  responsible.
         Sec. 580.002.  LOCAL COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH. (a) Each
  local mental health authority shall form a local committee on
  mental health encompassing the authority's region.
         (b)  The committee shall develop and adopt a plan and submit
  the plan to the department not later than January 1, 2019.
         Sec. 580.003.  COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE.  The local mental
  health authority shall appoint the following members to the
  committee, if present in the region:
               (1)  a county judge or a county commissioner to serve as
  committee chair;
               (2)  a representative from each sheriff's department;
               (3)  a representative from each district attorney's
  office;
               (4)  a representative from the Department of Family and
  Protective Services' child protection division;
               (5)  a representative from the Department of Family and
  Protective Services' adult protection division;
               (6)  a representative from each adult probation office;
               (7)  a representative from the local mental health
  authority;
               (8)  a criminal trial judge;
               (9)  an arraignment magistrate;
               (10)  a representative from a faith-based or nonprofit
  organization;
               (11)  a county veteran coordinator;
               (12)  a representative from a private hospital; and
               (13)  a representative from a public hospital.
         Sec. 580.004.  DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN. (a) The committee shall
  develop and adopt a plan identifying:
               (1)  the population of county jail inmates with mental
  illness;
               (2)  a measurable goal for reducing the population of
  county jail inmates with mental illness within two years;
               (3)  a method for improving indigent defense for
  persons with a mental illness who have been accused of a crime;
               (4)  a method for addressing mental illness among
  veterans;
               (5)  a method for quickly identifying and diverting
  persons with mental illness from the criminal justice system; and
               (6)  a method for providing community supervision to
  reduce recidivism among criminogenic superutilizers of mental
  health resources.
         (b)  The committee must unanimously agree on the adopted
  plan.
         Sec. 580.005.  DISSOLUTION OF COMMITTEE. The committee
  shall dissolve after the committee submits its plan to the
  department.
         Sec. 580.006.  CONDITION TO RECEIVE CONTINUED STATE FUNDING
  FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. The department may not distribute to a local
  mental health authority state funds for mental or behavioral health
  services for the fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019,
  unless the authority's committee has submitted to the department
  its plan on or before January 1, 2019.
         Sec. 580.007.  EXPIRATION. This chapter expires August 31,
  2021.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.