Bill Text: TX HJR5 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the dedication of certain sales and use tax revenue to the Texas mental and behavioral health research fund established to fund research, treatment, and access to services in this state for behavioral health, mental health, and substance use and addiction issues.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-22 - Placed on intent calendar [HJR5 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HJR5-Engrossed.html

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By: Thompson of Harris, Bonnen of Galveston, H.J.R. No. 5
Coleman, Phelan, Moody, et al.

A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the dedication
of certain sales and use tax revenue to the Texas mental and
behavioral health research fund established to fund research,
treatment, and access to services in this state for behavioral
health, mental health, and substance use and addiction issues.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
adding Section 68 to read as follows:
Sec. 68. The Texas mental and behavioral health research
fund is established in the state treasury and consists of money
transferred or deposited to the fund as provided by Section 7-c,
Article VIII, of this constitution, appropriations made to the fund
by the legislature, and all interest, dividends, and other income
of the fund. Money from the fund may be used as provided by general
law for the purpose of funding programs:
(1) to research behavioral health issues generally,
including causes of behavioral health issues, public health trends
and strategies regarding behavioral health issues, and new
behavioral health treatments, interventions, and other solutions;
(2) to research substance use and addiction issues,
including genetic determinates of addiction, identification of and
mitigation of substance use and addiction risk factors, addiction
recovery, pain management strategies, and prescription practices;
(3) to research behavioral health and mental health
issues affecting children and adolescents, including unidentified
and untreated mental illness, involvement in the juvenile justice
system, and suicide prevention; and
(4) to address the shortage of mental health
professionals in this state, including programs to increase access
to mental health professionals in this state, programs to increase
the use of telemedicine in the treatment of behavioral health or
mental health issues, and programs to provide loan repayment
assistance and other funding for mental health professionals,
including physicians and advanced practice nurses trained in the
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness in children
and adolescents.
SECTION 2. Section 7-c, Article VIII, Texas Constitution,
is amended by adding Subsections (b-1) and (d-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) Subject to Subsection (d-1) of this section, in each
state fiscal year, the comptroller of public accounts shall deposit
to the credit of the Texas mental and behavioral health research
fund $100 million of the net revenue derived from the imposition of
the state sales and use tax on the sale, storage, use, or other
consumption in this state of taxable items under Chapter 151, Tax
Code, or its successor, that exceeds the amount of $30.5 billion of
that revenue coming into the treasury in that state fiscal year.
(d-1) The legislature by adoption of a resolution approved
by a record vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the
legislature may direct the comptroller of public accounts to reduce
the amount of money deposited to the credit of the Texas mental and
behavioral health research fund under Subsection (b-1) of this
section. The comptroller may be directed to make that reduction
only:
(1) in the state fiscal year in which the resolution is
adopted, or in either of the following two state fiscal years; and
(2) by an amount or percentage that does not result in
a reduction of more than 50 percent of the amount that would
otherwise be deposited to the fund in the affected state fiscal year
under Subsection (b-1) of this section.
SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019.
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing for the
dedication of certain sales and use tax revenue to the Texas mental
and behavioral health research fund established to fund research,
treatment, and access to services in this state for behavioral
health, mental health, and substance use and addiction issues."