22-05-2025
Senate passes bill authorizing study of Texas mental hospital capacity
AUSTIN (KXAN) – A bill authorizing an extensive study of Texas' mental health facilities and treatment system received full Senate approval Wednesday.
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, wrote the measure, SB 719, saying Texas' state hospital system is 'overstrained and over-capacity' and experiencing increasing annual demand, according to her bill analysis.
The bill now goes to the House where it will await referral to a committee.
Among many duties, Texas' state hospitals treat patients charged with crimes and found incompetent to stand trial. Due to limited space, those individuals often wait months – even years in some cases – before getting to a state hospital bed.
'Currently, there is no official state estimate of future bed needs,' according to Eckhardt's bill analysis. 'In 2023, over 60 percent of adults treated inside state hospitals came from the criminal justice system, either from county jails or the prison system.'
'This is a crisis.' Lawmaker seeks transfer deadline for state hospital waitlist
All those criminal cases are put on hold, until the mentally ill individuals reach a state hospital, get treatment and are returned to competency. Eckhardt told KXAN that delay can amount to 'justice denied.'
KXAN has reported extensively on the impact of the state hospital's waitlist, including people dying before reaching trial and families left waiting for justice.
At least 54 died since 2018 waiting for state hospital opening, senator calls for more tracking
The bill would study the current supply and future needs for acute inpatient psychiatric beds in in-patient mental facilities, and researchers could collaborate with an academic institution.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
