SB 2446 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the composition of the governing bodies of local mental health authorities and reports available to the governing body members.

SB 2446 requires local mental health authorities in Texas to provide monthly electronic expense reports to all governing body members, including nonvoting sheriff representatives. It mandates specific membership rules: sheriffs must serve as nonvoting members (with population-based selection for multi-county authorities), and at least one public member with business experience (not in elected office) must be included. The bill also prohibits local mental health authorities from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives or using identity classifications (race, religion, etc.) for hiring, promotions, or resource allocation, except where federal law requires it. These changes apply to all local mental health authorities and take effect September 1, 2025.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 13, 2025 Last action May 14, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 6 edits · May 13, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates Texas law governing local mental health authorities by adding new reporting requirements for monthly expenses and modifying the composition rules for governing bodies. The changes clarify how sheriffs serve on governing boards and remove provisions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that were previously prohibited. The bill also repeals an existing section regarding diversity initiatives and sets an effective date of September 1, 2025.
Scope change
The bill applies to all local mental health authorities in Texas, with specific provisions for authorities serving one county versus multiple counties.
REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for local mental health authorities to prepare and distribute monthly expense reports in electronic format to all governing body members

Removed Section 533.0355 which prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and prohibited giving preference based on identity classification

ELIGIBILITY

Modified requirements for governing body composition, clarifying that at least one voting member must be a public member with business experience who has not served in elected office

Updated sheriff selection rules for multi-county authorities, specifying one sheriff from above-median population counties and one from below-median population counties

DEFINITION

Removed definitions for 'diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative' and 'identity classification' that were part of the repealed section

TIMELINE

Established September 1, 2025 as the effective date for all provisions in the bill

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
25
Key actions
6
Committee
7
May 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Public Health
lower
May 14, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
May 13, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
May 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
May 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Apr 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
Apr 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Committee
Referred to Health & Human Services
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Kevin Sparks
Kevin Sparks
RRepublican
TX
31