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Bill

HB 2711

Relating to the establishment of a work group to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing an acute psychiatric bed registry.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Jeff Barry and 2 co-sponsors

Texas establishes a study work group to examine feasibility of creating a statewide acute psychiatric bed registry to improve emergency mental health care access and bed availability tracking.

Left pending in committee
#governor(i0375) #health&humanservicescommission(v0177) #hospitals(i0400) #interimstudies(i0448) #lieutenantgovernor(s0096) #medicalcarefacilities(s0455) #mentalhealth&substanceabuse(i0019) #speakerofthehouse(s0306)
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Bill Summary · HB 2711

Legislative bill overview

HB 2711 establishes a work group tasked with studying the feasibility of creating an acute psychiatric bed registry in Texas. The registry would track available psychiatric hospital beds in real-time across the state to improve access to emergency mental health care. The bill directs this work group to examine implementation costs, technical requirements, and coordination mechanisms needed to make such a system operational.

Why is this important

Texas faces significant psychiatric bed shortages, particularly in emergency and crisis situations, leading to lengthy emergency department wait times and patients being transferred long distances for care. A registry system could reduce treatment delays, improve resource allocation, and provide hospitals with better visibility into bed availability across regions. This addresses a critical gap in the state's mental health infrastructure during a period of increased demand for psychiatric services.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding concerns: The bill doesn't specify who pays for the registry's development, operation, and maintenance—costs could burden hospitals or require new state appropriations
  • Data privacy and security: Real-time bed availability data could raise concerns about patient information security and compliance with healthcare privacy regulations
  • Hospital compliance burden: Participating facilities may face administrative costs and IT requirements to integrate with a statewide system, potentially disadvantaging smaller or rural hospitals

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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