Texas lawmakers passed a bill earlier this week that included $40 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish a mental health hospital in the Permian Basin.
The bill, known as Senate Bill 8, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's (R-Texas) desk, where the governor will decide whether to sign it into law.
"Our communities in West Texas have a dire need for quality mental health care," Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland) told NewsWest9. "The mental health hospital is a great stride towards meeting the mental health needs of West Texas. I am honored to have worked on securing this funding and look forward to this facility being a resource for generations to come."
Craddick and fellow Permian Basin lawmaker Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) were part of the coalition that helped secure the money for the project, according to the station.
"The $40 million to construct a new mental health hospital will improve quality of life in Odessa, Midland and throughout the Permian Basin," Landgraf said in a press release. "I'm thankful we were able to get this done for our region that desperately needs better access to mental health."
The hospital will have 100 inpatient beds, outpatient psychiatric care facilities and a crisis stabilization unit, plus areas designated for counseling patients of all ages, the release stated.
"In the weeks and months after the Aug. 31, 2019 mass shooting, local leaders in Odessa and Midland identified the need for additional behavioral and mental health services in our region. COVID-19 put that discussion on hold momentarily," Landgraf said in the release.
NewsWest 9 reported that through a partnership, the Midland County Hospital District and Ector County Hospital District would run the facility once it is built. The hospital's site is planned for between Midland and Odessa with an anticipated completion date by 2024.
The location will be much closer for patients who live in the Permian Basin and who previously had to travel to Lubbock or San Angelo for mental health services, according to the release.