S.B. No. 1889
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the transport of a mental health patient who is not a
  resident of this state.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subdivision (12), Section 571.003, Health and
  Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
               (12)  "Mental health facility" means:
                     (A)  an inpatient or outpatient mental health
  facility operated by the department, a federal agency, a political
  subdivision, or any person;
                     (B)  a community center or a facility operated by
  a community center; [or]
                     (C)  that identifiable part of a general hospital
  in which diagnosis, treatment, and care for persons with mental
  illness is provided; or
                     (D)  with respect to a reciprocal agreement
  entered into under Section 571.0081, any hospital or facility
  designated as a place of commitment by the department, a local
  mental health authority, and the contracting state or local
  authority.
         SECTION 2.  Subsections (a), (c), and (e), Section 571.008,
  Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The department may return a nonresident patient
  committed to a department mental health facility or other mental
  health facility under Section 571.0081 to the proper agency of the
  patient's state of residence.
         (c)  Subject to Section 571.0081, the [The] department may
  enter into reciprocal agreements with the state or local
  authorities, as defined by Section 571.0081, [proper agencies] of
  other states to facilitate the return of persons committed to
  mental health facilities in this state or another state to the
  states of their residence.
         (e)  The state returning a committed patient to another state
  shall bear the expenses of returning the patient, unless the state
  agrees to share costs under a reciprocal agreement under Section
  571.0081.
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 571, Health and Safety Code, is amended
  by adding Section 571.0081 to read as follows:
         Sec. 571.0081.  RETURN OF COMMITTED PATIENT TO STATE OF
  RESIDENCE; RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS.  (a)  In this section, "state or
  local authority" means a state or local government authority or
  agency or a representative of a state or local government authority
  or agency acting in an official capacity.
         (b)  If a state or local authority of another state petitions
  the department, the department shall enter into a reciprocal
  agreement with the state or local authority to facilitate the
  return of persons committed to mental health facilities in this
  state to the state of their residence unless the department
  determines that the terms of the agreement are not acceptable.
         (c)  A reciprocal agreement entered into by the department
  under Subsection (b) must require the department to develop a
  process for returning persons committed to mental health facilities
  to their state of residence.  The process must:
               (1)  provide suitable care for the person committed to
  a mental health facility;
               (2)  use available resources efficiently; and
               (3)  consider commitment to a proximate mental health
  facility to facilitate the return of the committed patient to the
  patient's state of residence.
         (d)  For the purpose of this section, the department shall
  coordinate, as appropriate, with a mental health facility, a mental
  hospital, health service providers, courts, and law enforcement
  personnel located in the geographic area nearest the petitioning
  state.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act to Chapter
  571, Health and Safety Code, applies only to a reciprocal agreement
  between the state and another entity entered into on or after the
  effective date of this Act.  A reciprocal agreement entered into
  between the state and another entity before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the reciprocal
  agreement was entered into, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1889 passed the Senate on
  May 2, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1889 passed the House on
  May 8, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, two present
  not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor