H.B. No. 19
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a preventive services program and mental health
  programs for veterans and military families.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle E, Title 2, Human Resources Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 53 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 53. PREVENTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
         Sec. 53.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Department" means the Department of Family and
  Protective Services.
               (2)  "Veteran" means a person who has served in:
                     (A)  the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or
  marine corps of the United States;
                     (B)  the state military forces as defined by
  Section 431.001, Government Code; or
                     (C)  an auxiliary service of one of those branches
  of the armed forces.
         Sec. 53.002.  VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES PREVENTIVE
  SERVICES PROGRAM. (a) The department shall develop and implement a
  preventive services program to serve veterans and military families
  who have committed or experienced or who are at a high risk of:
               (1)  family violence; or
               (2)  abuse or neglect.
         (b)  The program must:
               (1)  be designed to coordinate with community-based
  organizations to provide prevention services;
               (2)  include a prevention component and an early
  intervention component;
               (3)  include collaboration with services for child
  welfare, services for early childhood education, and other child
  and family services programs; and
               (4)  coordinate with the community collaboration
  initiative developed under Subchapter I, Chapter 434, Government
  Code, and committees formed by local communities as part of that
  initiative.
         (c)  The program must be established initially as a pilot
  program in areas of the state in which the department considers the
  implementation practicable.  The department shall evaluate the
  outcomes of the pilot program and ensure that the program is
  producing positive results before implementing the program
  throughout the state.
         (d)  The department shall evaluate the program and prepare an
  annual report on the outcomes of the program. The department shall
  publish the report on the department's Internet website.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapters H and I to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER H. STATEWIDE COORDINATION OF MENTAL HEALTH
  PROGRAM FOR VETERANS
         Sec. 434.351.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.
               (2)  "Peer" means a person who is a veteran or a
  veteran's family member.
               (3)  "Veteran" means a person who has served in:
                     (A)  the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or
  marine corps of the United States;
                     (B)  the state military forces as defined by
  Section 431.001; or
                     (C)  an auxiliary service of one of those branches
  of the armed forces.
               (4)  "Volunteer coordinator" means a person who
  recruits and retains veterans, peers, and volunteers to participate
  in the mental health program for veterans and related activities.
         Sec. 434.352.  DUTIES. (a) The commission and the
  Department of State Health Services shall coordinate to administer
  the mental health program for veterans developed under Chapter
  1001, Health and Safety Code.
         (b)  For the mental health program for veterans, the
  commission shall:
               (1)  provide training to volunteer coordinators and
  peers in accordance with Section 434.353;
               (2)  provide technical assistance to volunteer
  coordinators and peers;
               (3)  recruit, train, and communicate with
  community-based therapists, community-based organizations, and
  faith-based organizations; and
               (4)  coordinate services for justice involved
  veterans.
         (c)  The executive director of the commission shall appoint a
  program director to administer the mental health program for
  veterans.
         (d)  The commission shall provide appropriate facilities in
  support of the mental health program for veterans to the extent
  funding is available for that purpose.
         Sec. 434.353.  TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION. (a) The
  commission shall develop and implement methods for providing
  volunteer coordinator certification training to volunteer
  coordinators, including providing training for initial
  certification and recertification and providing continuing
  education.
         (b)  The commission shall manage and coordinate the peer
  training program to include initial training, advanced training,
  certification, and continuing education for peers associated with
  the mental health program for veterans.
  SUBCHAPTER I. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION INITIATIVE
         Sec. 434.401.  COMMUNITY COLLABORATION. (a) The commission
  and the Department of State Health Services shall include as a part
  of the mental health program for veterans described by Section
  434.352(a) an initiative to encourage local communities to conduct
  cross-sector collaboration to synchronize locally accessible
  resources available for veterans and military service members.
         (b)  The initiative must be designed to encourage local
  communities to form a committee that is tasked with developing a
  plan to identify and support the needs of veterans and military
  service members residing in their community. The commission may
  designate general areas of focus for the initiative.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 19 was passed by the House on May 11,
  2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 131, Nays 5, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 19 was passed by the Senate on May 24,
  2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 1.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor