FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                          Contact: Terra Taylor                                                                                                                                                     Contact: Mitzi Long

September 25, 2007                                                                           (512)463-0690                                     

State Representative Honored for Legislative Success

 FORT WORTH, TX - Rep. Vicki Truitt (R-Keller) will be honored by the MHMR of Tarrant County this evening at their board meeting.  Rep Truitt authored House Bill 2439 which codified the basic tenets of agreements reached by the state's community MHMR centers with private service providers and other groups to ensure open access to services for consumers and competitive service providers.  HB 2439 also establishes a Local Authority Network Advisory Committee for mental health services comprised of representatives from all aspects of the services community to resolve issues of contention or implementation going forward.  Those on hand honoring Rep. Truitt will include Tarrant County Commissioners Gary Fickes and Roy Brooks, Judge Brent Carr of County Criminal Court #9, Wayne Carson of Mental Health Connection, Richard Garnett of ARC and Susan Garnett, Deputy CEO of MHMR of Tarrant County.

 Rep. Truitt was similarly honored in August by the Texas Council of Community MHMR centers for her efforts in this area. 

 Rep. Vicki Truitt is a fifth term legislator from Tarrant County representing Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake, Keller, Westlake, and parts of Trophy Club and far north Fort Worth.  She is Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions and Investments, Vice-Chairman of the Sunset Advisory Commission, and a member of the House Committee on Public Health.