Bill orders a state suicide report every two years

The text as introduced · 767 words

89R5962 MPF-D

By: Menéndez, Blanco
S.B. No. 3020

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a biennial state report on suicide rates, the Texas

Violent Death Reporting System, and certain suicide data shared

under a memorandum of understanding.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 547, Government Code, as effective April

1, 2025, is amended by adding Subchapter K to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER K. BIENNIAL STATE REPORT ON SUICIDE

Sec. 547.0501. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Council" means the Statewide Behavioral Health

Coordinating Council.

(2) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by

Section 421.095.

(3) "Postvention" includes activities promoting

healing necessary to reduce the risk of suicide by an individual

affected by the suicide of another.

Sec. 547.0502. BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) The commission, in

conjunction with the Department of State Health Services, shall

prepare a biennial report on the prevalence of suicide in this state

and state policies and programs adopted across state systems and

agencies to prevent suicide. The report must:

(1) incorporate available statewide and regional data

on the prevalence rates of suicide-related events, including

suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths caused by suicide,

and to the extent practicable be presented in a form that is:

(A) disaggregated by county and recognized

categories of risk; and

(B) longitudinal to identify changes in suicide

prevalence rates since 2000;

(2) identify the highest categories of risk with

correlational data;

(3) include information on the prevalence rates of

suicide-related events among active duty military personnel,

veterans, first responders, and children and adolescents;

(4) list state statutes, agency rules, and policies

related to suicide and suicide prevention, intervention, and

postvention; and

(5) describe state agency initiatives taken since 2000

to address suicide and include the following information relating

to each initiative:

(A) the administering state agency;

(B) the funding sources, including whether the

funding was provided by:

(i) a federal block grant;

(ii) a federal discretionary grant; or

(iii) state appropriations;

(C) the years of operation; and

(D) whether the initiative is a community-based

effort to address suicide.

(b) Each state agency or institution of higher education, as

defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, that designates a

representative on the council shall provide to the commission the

information described by Subsection (a), to the extent that

information pertains to the respective duties of the agency or

institution.

(c) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,

the council shall submit a copy of the report to the governor, the

lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,

and each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction

over health and mental health.

SECTION 2. Section 193.011, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection

(b-1) to read as follows:

(a) In this section, "authorized entity" means the

department, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Statewide

Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, a medical examiner, a local

registrar, a local health authority, a local mental health

authority, a community mental health center, a mental health center

that acts as a collection agent for the suicide data reported by

community mental health centers, or any other political subdivision

of this state.

(b-1) The department and the Health and Human Services

Commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to share,

as soon as practicable, suicide data the vital statistics unit

collects for the conduct of timely fatality reviews and

surveillance to prevent additional deaths.

(c) The suicide data an authorized entity receives or

provides under Subsection (b) or (b-1) is not confidential.

SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 1001, Health and Safety

Code, is amended by adding Section 1001.090 to read as follows:

Sec. 1001.090. TEXAS VIOLENT DEATH REPORTING SYSTEM. (a)

The department shall establish and operate the Texas Violent Death

Reporting System to participate in the National Violent Death

Reporting System operated by the federal Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention.

(b) The department shall provide suicide data obtained or

maintained through the Texas Violent Death Reporting System:

(1) in accordance with a memorandum of understanding

the department entered into under Section 193.011; and

(2) to the commission for the biennial state report on

suicide required under Subchapter K, Chapter 547, Government Code.

(c) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to

implement this section.

SECTION 4. 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, 2025.