2025 · Regular session · House bill
HB1593
HB1593 creates a temporary advisory committee to study whether and how Texas fire departments should implement suicide-prevention and peer-support programs.
Official caption: Relating to an advisory committee to study suicide prevention and peer support programs in fire departments in this state.
Official report lists House author(s): Campos, LaHood, Cole, Garcia Hernandez, Cassandra, Martinez. This does not identify sponsors or amendment drafters.
Bill explanation published · Version and amendment review scope is stated below · Individual amendment records may not be separately annotated.
Bill highlights
Selected points from the published explanation. Follow each point to its source-linked context; conditions and limits may matter.
- HB1593 creates a temporary advisory committee to study whether and how Texas fire departments should implement suicide-prevention and peer-support programs.
- The 11 members are four firefighters, two fire chiefs, three people licensed to provide professional mental-health services, one person appointed by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service's executive director, and the Fire Protection Commission's executive director.
- These are subjects for study and recommendations, not newly enacted licensing or confidentiality rules.
- The bill incorporates a definition of “fire department” covering local-government departments staffed by permanent, full-time employees and organized to prevent or suppress fires.
What does it do?
HB1593 creates a temporary advisory committee to study whether and how Texas fire departments should implement suicide-prevention and peer-support programs. It does not require every department to start a program or create a new entitlement to treatment. The Texas Commission on Fire Protection must establish the committee and provide the administrative support and resources it needs. Final law, Sections 1–2.
The 11 members are four firefighters, two fire chiefs, three people licensed to provide professional mental-health services, one person appointed by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s executive director, and the Fire Protection Commission’s executive director. The Texas State Association of Fire Fighters and the State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas each appoint two firefighters and one mental-health professional. The Texas Fire Chiefs Association appoints two chiefs and the third mental-health professional. The committee chooses its chair and may meet in person or remotely; the commission may adopt necessary rules.
The committee had to report to the governor and Legislature by September 1, 2026, providing:
- An overview of suicide-prevention and peer-support groups in fire departments.
- Discussion of possible licensing requirements and confidentiality concerns.
- Recommendations on needed legislation, whether to encourage local-government programs, and specific programs Texas should implement.
These are subjects for study and recommendations, not newly enacted licensing or confidentiality rules. The committee is abolished and the law expires January 10, 2027. This briefing verifies those deadlines, not whether the report was delivered. Final law, Sections 3–5; official history.
The bill incorporates a definition of “fire department” covering local-government departments staffed by permanent, full-time employees and organized to prevent or suppress fires. Its definition of “fire fighter” incorporates civil-service and certification criteria rather than automatically covering every volunteer or support employee. Government Code 419.021; Local Government Code 143.003.
What changed along the way?
The amendment index explicitly states that the bill has no amendments. The introduced, House committee, House-passed, Senate committee and enrolled versions have identical operative provisions. No floor amendment or conference change altered the membership, report requirements or expiration date. Text-version index.
For the full amendment record, open the official amendment index.
Official bill versions
Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.
Who could benefit—and who could bear the costs?
Firefighters, departments and lawmakers may benefit from recommendations informed by frontline, management and mental-health perspectives. Any improvement in access to support depends on later action; this study law itself does not establish a statewide counseling program, fund treatment or prove a reduction in suicides.
Committee participants contribute time, and the Fire Protection Commission supplies support. The May 7, 2025 fiscal note anticipates no significant state fiscal impact, assuming costs can be absorbed with existing resources, and no local-government fiscal impact. It provides no quantified two-year or five-year estimate and does not price any future recommended program.
Review boundary: All five enacted sections, all five text versions, history, the no-amendments index, both fiscal notes and incorporated definitions were checked. Actual committee appointments, report delivery and implementation of recommendations were not verified.
Official sources
- Bill history and latest recorded action
- Bill versions, analyses and fiscal notes
- Action history and votes
- Amendment index
Catalog report retrieved 2026-10-25. Check the official record for corrections or later changes.