Suicide Prevention

This bill is about creating a model suicide prevention policy and intervention plans.

• Suicide prevention policy and intervention: A plan to help stop suicide by teaching people the warning signs, providing support, and getting help for those at risk.

• This Bill: 

  • Includes suicide prevention in plans for when really bad things happen, like flooding, that are made by state offices.

  • Keeps track of suicide death info through the Department of State Health Services.

    • Department of State Health Services: A Texas government office that helps keep people healthy by working on things like stopping the spread of illnesses, mental health, and safety programs.

  • Sets up the Texas Violent Death Reporting System, which is a way to track how and why people die from violence, so the state can find ways to help prevent these deaths.

  • Changes a part of the Government Code, starting April 1, 2025, and adds another part about suicide prevention.

    • Government Code: A set of rules that explains how the Texas government should work and what government workers can and cannot do.

  • Defines "postvention" as activities to heal and lower suicide risk after someone else ends their own life.

  • Updates part of the Health and Safety Code, which is a set of laws that explain how to keep people safe and healthy, including rules for hospitals, medicine, and health programs.

  • Creates a group of government workers to keep official paperwork safe.

  • Requires a statewide vital statistics system and collection procedures.

  • Makes sure the person in charge of putting together suicide prevention across all of Texas can see information about suicide.

  • Adds a part about the Texas Violent Death Reporting System.

• If this bill passes, the commission, which is a government group that makes big decisions about health programs and how to use government money for public health., will create and put out a model suicide prevention policy. This policy:

  • Will focus on state offices, community groups working together, and state-run places that work with people who have more of a risk of suicide.

  • Is meant to be used by professionals who do not work in mental health.

    • Mental health: A person’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

  • Must include info on stopping suicide, what to do if someone is at risk, what to do after someone ends their life, warning signs of suicide, and information that supports people.

  • Supports creating community groups for suicide prevention efforts rural areas where people have a high risk for suicide.

• If this bill passes, certain things need to happen, including:

  • The commission will team up with the group that organizes mental health programs across Texas, and the Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative.

    • Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative: A group that works to stop suicide in Texas by teaching people about mental health, giving support, and helping communities find ways to stop suicide.

    • They can get support from local groups involved in suicide prevention.

  • The commission needs to suggest which strategies to put into the crisis plans made by government offices by August 31, 2026.

  • State offices have to put the commission's suggestions in place by August 1, 2027.

• If this bill passes, the leader of the commission can set any rules needed to make these changes happen.

• If this bill passes, these changes start right away with a “yes” vote by most state leaders, or on September 1, 2025, if it does not get that enough votes.