By: Harris of Tarrant S.B. No. 351
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to eligibility to apply for a license and the requirements
1-2 for obtaining a license without an examination for certain marriage
1-3 and family therapists.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subsections (b) and (c), Section 30, Chapter 824,
1-6 Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991, are amended to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 (b) The board may issue a license, without requiring an
1-9 examination, to a person who:
1-10 (1) applies to the board not later than September 1,
1-11 1994 <1993>;
1-12 (2) is at least 18 years old;
1-13 (3) has submitted a completed application as required
1-14 by the board, accompanied by the application fee;
1-15 (4) is of good moral character;
1-16 (5) has at least three years of clinical experience in
1-17 the practice of marriage and family therapy, under supervision
1-18 satisfactory to the board; and
1-19 (6) possesses the education or certification specified
1-20 in Subsection (c) of this section.
1-21 (c) To be eligible for a license without examination under
1-22 this section a person must:
1-23 (1) hold a master's or doctorate degree from a
1-24 regionally accredited institution or nationally accredited
2-1 institution of higher education or from an institution of higher
2-2 education approved by the board in:
2-3 (A) marriage and family therapy; or
2-4 (B) a related mental health discipline;
2-5 (2) be licensed or certified by this state in a mental
2-6 health discipline; or
2-7 (3) be certified by an appropriate professional
2-8 organization having appropriate certification standards.
2-9 SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 17, Chapter 824, Acts of
2-10 the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991, is amended to read as
2-11 follows:
2-12 (b) A person is eligible to apply for a license if the
2-13 person:
2-14 (1) is at least 18 years of age;
2-15 (2) holds a master's or doctorate degree in marriage
2-16 and family therapy or a master's or doctorate degree in a related
2-17 mental health field with coursework and training determined by the
2-18 board to be substantially equivalent to a graduate degree in
2-19 marriage and family therapy from a regionally accredited
2-20 institution or nationally accredited institution of higher
2-21 education or an institution of higher education approved by the
2-22 board;
2-23 (3) after receipt of a degree meeting the requirements
2-24 of Subdivision (2) of this subsection, has completed two years of
2-25 work experience in marriage and family therapist services that
2-26 must:
2-27 (A) include at least 1,000 hours of direct
3-1 clinical services to individuals, couples, or families, of which at
3-2 least 500 hours must be direct clinical services to couples or
3-3 families; and
3-4 (B) be supervised in a manner acceptable to the
3-5 board, including at least 200 hours of supervision of the provision
3-6 of direct clinical services by the applicant of which at least 100
3-7 hours must be supervised on an individual basis;
3-8 (4) is of good moral character;
3-9 (5) has not been convicted of a felony or a crime
3-10 involving moral turpitude;
3-11 (6) does not use drugs or alcohol to an extent that
3-12 affects the applicant's professional competency;
3-13 (7) has not had a license or certification revoked by
3-14 a licensing agency or by a certifying professional organization;
3-15 and
3-16 (8) has not been guilty of fraud or deceit in making
3-17 the application.
3-18 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-24 passage, and it is so enacted.