The Texas Legislature meets every other year. For 140 calendar days. The state’s legislative agenda is so densely packed that keeping track of any policy area, mental health included, is a dizzying task. This summary tells you what you need to know about bills that were passed, commissions that were formed, and reforms that were pushed.
Funding for Veterans
Caring for our nation’s veterans is one issue that the entire legislature can support. This legislative session was no different, with Texas policymakers voting to bring more access to mental health care services for both veterans and their families. Senate Bill 55 by Senator Jane Nelson created The Texas + Family Alliance with $20 million in funding to be combined with a $20 million match from private sector donors. The program will award funding to organizations serving the mental health needs of veterans and their families across the state. Individual focus on meeting the needs of female veterans and veterans in rural areas experiencing mental health conditions were addressed in separate bills.
[For more of this story, written by Alison Mohr-Boleware, go to http://mhdaily.org/mental-heal...aily-year-in-policy/]
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