Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Positive | Neutral |
Summary: HB 3327 expands the list of recommended best practice-based programs kept by the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency that schools may implement. HB 3327 adds substance abuse prevention and intervention, suicide prevention, early mental health intervention, mental health promotion, and positive youth development to the list and requires various agencies to post the list on their websites. Current law already allows these programs to be used to educate teachers, law enforcement and others on how to recognize these problems and intervene, and current law allows trustees to adopt policies and procedures to address these issues in their schools.
Analysis: HB 3327 expands the topics various state agencies can formulate best practice-based programs for schools to implement. If these programs are successful, they can help address mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and suicide before individuals harm themselves or others, and before Texas has to use taxpayer dollars to treat these issues.