Mental Health Monday
Week of April 1, 2013
TEXASVETERANS MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION
Please contact your State Senator and State Representative in support of these bills:
HB 489 by Menendez Establishes penalties for harassing individuals with disabilities, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, who use service animals. Amends the Texas Health Code to allow service animals to accompany their owners in restaurants, and provides for training of food service personnel.
HB 633 by Farias: Allows voluntary contributions to the state fund for veterans assistance when applying for a driver’s license or personal identification. Money collected will fund grants to local governments and not-for-profit agencies for programs serving veterans and their families.
HB 2392 by Menendez Requires the Texas Department of State Health Services to expand existing mental health intervention programs for veterans to include peer-to-peer counseling, jail diversion, and grants for local and regional organizations serving these needs for veterans.
HB 3064 by Menendez Allows the release of unclaimed cremated remains of veterans to a veterans cemetery or to a veterans service organization for transport to a veterans cemetery for burial.
HB 3543 by Menendez Incorporates suicide prevention in the training and exams for local County Veterans Services Officers.
SB 109 by West Directs the Texas Department of Community Affairs to establish goals regarding improving coordination of housing services for certain groups, including veterans.
SB 462 by Huffman Requires Drug Courts, including Veterans Drug Courts and Mental Health Courts to follow programmatic best practices to be eligible for state and federal funds.
SB1476 by West Establishes a Veterans’ Entrepreneur Program to provide outreach, awareness and guidance for entrepreneurs who are veterans through conferences, seminars and training workshops.
WHO REPRESENTS YOU?
Go to http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx and enter your address
TO SEND AN E-MAIL TO YOUR STATE SENATOR AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Follow Instructions above, then: Click on the name of your State Senator. Your Senator's webpage will appear. Look in the blue box at the top of the page, and you will see an E-mail option. Click on it, and an e-mail form will appear.
TO SEND A LETTER OR POSTCARD BY U.S. MAIL
If you prefer to send your message by U.S. Postal Service, please use the following addresses:
For all State Representatives: P. O. Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78768-2910
For all State Senators: P. O. Box 12068, Austin, Texas 78711-2068
Please be aware that for security purposes, all mail is opened and inspected before it is delivered to the Legislator’s office to whom it is addressed. This may delay delivery by a number of days, so when time is of the essence, especially if a bill is scheduled for hearing or a vote, it is preferable to send an e-mail or to call the office and leave a message regarding your opinion on the bill in question for your Senator or Representative. Be sure to provide the exact bill number, its sponsor’s name, the current status of the bill if you know it, and note your support or opposition to it.
For more information, or for regular updates on these and other bills related to mental health,
please contact Janie Metzinger, Public Policy Director, Mental Health America of Greater Dallas
(214) 871-2420, Ext. 114 or JMetzinger@mhadallas.org