HBA-CBW H.B. 1498 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1498 By: Farabee Juvenile Justice & Family Issues 3/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a large number of youth who enter the juvenile justice system suffer from mental illness, but many fail to receive the treatment they need. This lack of treatment may arise from the fact that there is no formal linkage between local mental health or mental retardation authorities and juvenile justice authorities. A more defined role for local mental health or mental retardation authorities may provide the much needed support that the juvenile justice system needs with juveniles who have a mental illness or who are mentally retarded. House Bill 1498 allows a local mental health or mental retardation authority to conduct an examination for mental illness or mental retardation on a child referred by the court. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1498 amends the Family Code to authorize the juvenile court to order an examination of certain children who are referred to the court by the local mental health or mental retardation authority. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.