Senate Bill No. 719 aims to enhance the collection of information regarding the availability of beds in inpatient mental health facilities that provide acute psychiatric treatment in Texas. The bill amends Section 311.0335 of the Health and Safety Code, requiring hospitals that offer mental health or chemical dependency services to submit detailed financial and utilization data. This includes new requirements to report the total number of inpatient psychiatric beds, disaggregated by age, online beds (operational and available), and offline beds (unavailable). Additionally, the bill introduces definitions for "online bed" and "offline bed" to clarify these categories.

Furthermore, the bill mandates the Health and Human Services Commission to conduct a comprehensive study on the availability of psychiatric beds in the state, evaluating various factors such as the number of beds at different types of facilities, patient demographics, and the need for additional resources over the next decade. The commission is required to submit a report with findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2026. The implementation of this act is contingent upon the legislature appropriating funds specifically for this purpose, and it will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses, or on September 1, 2025, if not.

Statutes affected:
Senate Committee Report: Health and Safety Code 311.0335 (Health and Safety Code 311)
Engrossed: Health and Safety Code 311.0335 (Health and Safety Code 311)