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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a biennial state report on suicide rates, the Texas |
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Violent Death Reporting System, and certain suicide data shared |
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under a memorandum of understanding. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 547, Government Code, as effective April |
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1, 2025, is amended by adding Subchapter K to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER K. BIENNIAL STATE REPORT ON SUICIDE |
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Sec. 547.0501. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Council" means the Statewide Behavioral Health |
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Coordinating Council. |
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(2) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 421.095. |
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(3) "Postvention" includes activities promoting |
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healing necessary to reduce the risk of suicide by an individual |
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affected by the suicide of another. |
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Sec. 547.0502. BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) The commission, in |
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conjunction with the Department of State Health Services, shall |
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prepare a biennial report on the prevalence of suicide in this state |
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and state policies and programs adopted across state systems and |
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agencies to prevent suicide. The report must: |
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(1) incorporate available statewide and regional data |
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on the prevalence rates of suicide-related events, including |
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suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths caused by suicide, |
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and to the extent practicable be presented in a form that is: |
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(A) disaggregated by county and recognized |
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categories of risk; and |
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(B) longitudinal to identify changes in suicide |
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prevalence rates since 2000; |
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(2) identify the highest categories of risk with |
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correlational data; |
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(3) include information on the prevalence rates of |
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suicide-related events among active duty military personnel, |
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veterans, first responders, and children and adolescents; |
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(4) list state statutes, agency rules, and policies |
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related to suicide and suicide prevention, intervention, and |
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postvention; and |
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(5) describe state agency initiatives taken since 2000 |
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to address suicide and include the following information relating |
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to each initiative: |
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(A) the administering state agency; |
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(B) the funding sources, including whether the |
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funding was provided by: |
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(i) a federal block grant; |
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(ii) a federal discretionary grant; or |
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(iii) state appropriations; |
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(C) the years of operation; and |
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(D) whether the initiative is a community-based |
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effort to address suicide. |
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(b) Each state agency or institution of higher education, as |
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defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, that designates a |
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representative on the council shall provide to the commission the |
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information described by Subsection (a), to the extent that |
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information pertains to the respective duties of the agency or |
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institution. |
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(c) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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the council shall submit a copy of the report to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction |
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over health and mental health. |
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SECTION 2. Section 193.011, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection |
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(b-1) to read as follows: |
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(a) In this section, "authorized entity" means the |
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department, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Statewide |
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Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, a medical examiner, a local |
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registrar, a local health authority, a local mental health |
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authority, a community mental health center, a mental health center |
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that acts as a collection agent for the suicide data reported by |
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community mental health centers, or any other political subdivision |
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of this state. |
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(b-1) The department and the Health and Human Services |
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Commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to share, |
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as soon as practicable, suicide data the vital statistics unit |
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collects for the conduct of timely fatality reviews and |
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surveillance to prevent additional deaths. |
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(c) The suicide data an authorized entity receives or |
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provides under Subsection (b) or (b-1) is not confidential. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 1001, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 1001.090 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1001.090. TEXAS VIOLENT DEATH REPORTING SYSTEM. (a) |
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The department shall establish and operate the Texas Violent Death |
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Reporting System to participate in the National Violent Death |
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Reporting System operated by the federal Centers for Disease |
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Control and Prevention. |
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(b) The department shall provide suicide data obtained or |
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maintained through the Texas Violent Death Reporting System: |
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(1) in accordance with a memorandum of understanding |
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the department entered into under Section 193.011; and |
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(2) to the commission for the biennial state report on |
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suicide required under Subchapter K, Chapter 547, Government Code. |
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(c) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |