BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Background

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) contracts with 39 local mental health authorities (LMHAs) to deliver mental health services to Texans. HHSC contracts with each LMHA to locally provide these services.

The 86th Legislature passed S.B. 633 as a one-time initiative to better leverage the resources of individual LMHAs by requiring LMHAs to work together on a regional plan to build new capacity, reduce local government costs, lower emergency room visits, and reduce transportation costs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regional planning groups were only able to partially fulfill the legislative intent of S.B. 633.

S.B. 454 directs the continuation of the LMHA regional planning groups and makes the planning process permanent.

Key Provisions

Directs all LMHAs to meet quarterly to develop regional strategies aimed at reducing costs to local governments, the transportation of patients to mental health facilities, incarcerations of persons with mental illnesses, and emergency room visits by persons with mental illnesses.

S.B. 454 also directs each LMHA to submit an annual report to HHSC detailing an updated version of the mental health services development plan. That plan must include (1) actions taken by the group to implement plan strategies, and (2) new strategies related to the previously mentioned reduction goals.

Finally, the bill directs HHSC to produce the most recent version of the LMHA regional report on its website.

Fiscal Impact

There is a small fiscal impact from the staffing required at HHSC for the regional planning groups.

As proposed, S.B. 454 amends current law relating to mental health services development plans as updated by local mental health authority groups.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, by adding Section 531.0222, as follows:

Sec. 531.0222.  LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY GROUP REGIONAL PLANNING. (a) Defines "local mental health authority group."

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(b) Requires each local mental health authority group to meet at least quarterly to collaborate on planning and implementing regional strategies to reduce:

(1) costs to local governments of providing services to persons experiencing a mental health crisis;

(2) transportation to mental health facilities of persons served by an authority that is a member of the group;

(3)  incarceration of persons with mental illness in county jails that are located in an area served by an authority that is a member of the group; and

(4) visits by persons with mental illness at hospital emergency rooms located in an area served by an authority that is a member of the group.

(c)  Requires each local mental health authority group to annually submit to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) an updated version of the mental health services development plan that was initially developed for the group under Chapter 963 (S.B. 633), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019. Requires that the group's updated plan include a description of:

(1) actions taken by the group to implement strategies in the plan; and

(2)  new strategies identified by the group to reduce the circumstances described by Subsection (b).

(d) Requires HHSC, not later than December 1 of each year and using existing resources, to produce and publish on its Internet website a report containing the most recent version of each mental health services development plan submitted by a local mental health authority group.

SECTION 2. Provides that, notwithstanding Section 531.0222, Government Code, as added by this Act, a local mental health authority group and HHSC are not required to produce or publish a report required by that section before December 1, 2022.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.