Bill Text: TX HB751 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishment of the office of first responder support within the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas; requiring occupational certification.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-03 - Left pending in committee [HB751 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB751-Introduced.html
| 86R6312 SCL-F | ||
| By: Bailes | H.B. No. 751 | |
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| relating to establishment of the office of first responder support | ||
| within the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of | ||
| Texas; requiring occupational certification. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 96, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 96.642 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 96.642. OFFICE OF FIRST RESPONDER SUPPORT. (a) In | ||
| this section: | ||
| (1) "Critical incident support services" means | ||
| services designed to provide compassionate or coping support to an | ||
| individual who is involved in, a witness to, or otherwise affected | ||
| by a traumatic event, including a series of events that results in a | ||
| traumatic event. | ||
| (2) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 421.095, Government Code. | ||
| (3) "Institute" means the Bill Blackwood Law | ||
| Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. | ||
| (4) "Office" means the office of first responder | ||
| support established by this section. | ||
| (5) "Peer counselor" means an individual who provides | ||
| critical incident support services to a first responder as an: | ||
| (A) employee of the office; or | ||
| (B) employee or volunteer of a public agency. | ||
| (6) "President" means the president of Sam Houston | ||
| State University. | ||
| (7) "Public agency" has the meaning assigned by | ||
| Section 2257.002, Government Code. | ||
| (b) The president shall establish within the institute an | ||
| office of first responder support. | ||
| (c) The president shall appoint a support coordinator as the | ||
| administrative head of the office. The support coordinator may | ||
| also serve as a first responder or in another position within the | ||
| institute. The support coordinator must: | ||
| (1) have experience as a first responder; | ||
| (2) have successfully completed training in providing | ||
| emotional and moral support to first responders; and | ||
| (3) demonstrate a professional ability to provide | ||
| emotional and moral support to first responders. | ||
| (d) The office at the request of a public agency may respond | ||
| to and provide peer counselors and critical incident support | ||
| services to the agency and the agency's first responders who are | ||
| experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder or other trauma | ||
| associated with performing the duties of a first responder. | ||
| (e) The office shall establish a program for certifying | ||
| individuals to provide critical incident support services to first | ||
| responders and establish the qualifications necessary for | ||
| certification. An individual may not provide the support services | ||
| to a first responder as a peer counselor under this section unless | ||
| the individual: | ||
| (1) holds the certification required by this | ||
| subsection; and | ||
| (2) either: | ||
| (A) is an employee or volunteer of a public | ||
| agency and is designated by the executive head of the agency to | ||
| provide the support services to the agency's first responders; or | ||
| (B) is an employee of the office and provides the | ||
| support services to first responders of public agencies that | ||
| request assistance from the office. | ||
| (f) The office shall develop a training course on critical | ||
| incident stress management and other related matters for the | ||
| benefit of first responders. | ||
| (g) Except as provided by Subsection (h), communications | ||
| between a peer counselor and a first responder receiving critical | ||
| incident support services from the counselor are confidential and | ||
| privileged and may not be disclosed. | ||
| (h) The confidentiality and privilege provisions of | ||
| Subsection (g) do not apply if: | ||
| (1) disclosure is authorized by the first responder; | ||
| (2) the first responder is deceased and the disclosure | ||
| is authorized by: | ||
| (A) the executor or administrator of the first | ||
| responder's estate; or | ||
| (B) the first responder's next of kin if an | ||
| executor or administrator is not appointed; | ||
| (3) disclosure is compelled by a court order; | ||
| (4) the peer counselor was a first responder, witness, | ||
| or party to the incident that is the subject of the counseling; | ||
| (5) the communication was made when the peer counselor | ||
| was not performing official duties as a peer counselor; | ||
| (6) the first responder is charged with a criminal | ||
| offense; or | ||
| (7) the disclosure is otherwise required by law. | ||
| (i) The office may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and | ||
| donations to implement this section. | ||
| (j) The president shall adopt rules necessary to implement | ||
| this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the president of Sam Houston State University shall | ||
| adopt rules necessary to implement Section 96.642, Education Code, | ||
| as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
