TX HB4844

Establishes the Border County Mental Health Task Force under the Health and Human Services Commission's Office of Rural Mental Health to address mental and behavioral health needs in Texas counties adjacent to the Mexico border with populations between 400,000 and 500,000

Task force will advise on policy priorities, barriers to mental health care access (including socioeconomic conditions, linguistic/cultural barriers, low population density, and lack of insurance), and conditions such as suicide, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder

Membership includes a first responder appointed by the commissioner, two non-voting legislators (appointed by lieutenant governor and speaker), and voting members from hospitals, community health centers, local mental health authority, county health administration, a mental health court judge, and district attorney's office

Requires development of short-term (4-year) and long-term (9-year) mental health improvement plans, with initial short-term implementation by September 1, 2030 and long-term implementation by September 1, 2035

Task force must meet quarterly, submit biennial reports to the commissioner by September 1 of even-numbered years, and is subject to the Texas Sunset Act with automatic abolishment on September 1, 2037 unless continued by the legislature