Relating to the licensing and regulation of outpatient behavioral health centers; authorizing civil and administrative penalties; imposing fees.

HB 2819 requires outpatient behavioral health centers providing mental health or substance use disorder treatment to obtain a license from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Centers must submit detailed applications - including facility plans, staff qualifications, and fees - before operating, with exemptions for existing mental hospitals and certain licensed facilities. The bill authorizes civil penalties for noncompliance and establishes fee structures for licensing. This directly affects new and existing providers of outpatient mental health services seeking to operate under the new regulatory framework.