Bill Text: TX HB2233 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to required mental health awareness training for first responders.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-09 - Referred to Health & Human Services [HB2233 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2233-Engrossed.html
| 88R25069 KKR-F | ||
| By: Spiller, Garcia, Howard, et al. | H.B. No. 2233 | |
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| relating to required mental health awareness training for first | ||
| responders. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Chapter 786 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 786. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING | ||
| FOR FIRST RESPONDERS | ||
| Sec. 786.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Extension service" means the Texas A&M | ||
| Engineering Extension Service. | ||
| (2) "First responder" means a public safety employee | ||
| whose duties include responding rapidly to an emergency. The term | ||
| includes: | ||
| (A) a peace officer whose duties include | ||
| responding rapidly to an emergency; | ||
| (B) fire protection personnel as defined by | ||
| Section 419.021, Government Code; | ||
| (C) an individual certified as emergency medical | ||
| services personnel by the Department of State Health Services; | ||
| (D) an emergency response operator or emergency | ||
| services dispatcher who provides communication support services | ||
| for an agency by responding to requests for assistance in | ||
| emergencies, including a telecommunicator as defined by Section | ||
| 1701.001, Occupations Code; and | ||
| (E) other emergency response personnel employed | ||
| by a state agency. | ||
| (3) "First responder training program" means a program | ||
| that provides training required for certification or licensure as a | ||
| first responder, including the training required under: | ||
| (A) Chapter 773; | ||
| (B) Chapter 419, Government Code; and | ||
| (C) Chapter 1701, Occupations Code. | ||
| Sec. 786.002. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING REQUIRED. | ||
| (a) A person who provides to first responders and first responder | ||
| trainees a first responder training program shall: | ||
| (1) include as part of the program at least six hours | ||
| of training on mental health awareness that covers: | ||
| (A) the most common mental health issues | ||
| experienced by first responders; | ||
| (B) the impact of chronic trauma on a first | ||
| responder's duties; | ||
| (C) signs and symptoms of mental illness; and | ||
| (D) strategies for first responders to attain | ||
| mental wellness and resiliency; and | ||
| (2) require first responders and first responder | ||
| trainees to successfully complete the training described by | ||
| Subdivision (1) as part of the training program. | ||
| (b) In providing the training described by Subsection (a), a | ||
| person who provides a first responder training program must use a | ||
| mental health awareness training curriculum developed or adopted | ||
| under Section 786.003. | ||
| Sec. 786.003. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING CURRICULUM. | ||
| (a) The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service shall develop or | ||
| adopt a curriculum for the first responder mental health awareness | ||
| training required by Section 786.002. In developing or adopting | ||
| the curriculum, the extension service shall collaborate with state | ||
| agencies that certify or license first responders, including the | ||
| Texas Commission on Fire Protection, the Texas Commission on Law | ||
| Enforcement, and the Department of State Health Services. | ||
| (b) Each state agency that certifies or licenses first | ||
| responders shall ensure that the applicable first responder | ||
| training program required for certification or licensure as a first | ||
| responder uses the mental health awareness training curriculum | ||
| developed or adopted by the extension service under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (q) to read as follows: | ||
| (q) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the | ||
| commission shall require an officer to complete the mental health | ||
| awareness training curriculum developed or adopted by the Texas A&M | ||
| Engineering Extension Service under Section 786.003, Health and | ||
| Safety Code. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 1701.3071, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows: | ||
| (a-2) The training required by Subsection (a)(2) must | ||
| include the mental health awareness training curriculum developed | ||
| or adopted by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service under | ||
| Section 786.003, Health and Safety Code. | ||
| SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act: | ||
| (1) the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service shall | ||
| develop or adopt the first responder mental health awareness | ||
| training curriculum required by Section 786.003, Health and Safety | ||
| Code, as added by this Act; and | ||
| (2) each state agency that certifies or licenses first | ||
| responders subject to Chapter 786, Health and Safety Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, shall ensure that: | ||
| (A) each first responder training program | ||
| subject to the chapter includes the mental health awareness | ||
| training and curriculum required by that chapter; and | ||
| (B) each first responder and first responder | ||
| trainee subject to the chapter completes the required training. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
