By:  Harris, Chris                                     S.B. No. 351
       73R3115 JMM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the requirements for a license without an examination
    1-3  for certain marriage and family therapists.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Sections 30(b) and (c), Chapter 824, Acts of the
    1-6  72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991, are amended to read as
    1-7  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  1995 <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 of higher education or from an
    2-1  institution of higher education approved by the board in:
    2-2                    (A)  marriage and family therapy; or
    2-3                    (B)  a related mental health discipline;
    2-4              (2)  be licensed or certified by this state in a mental
    2-5  health discipline; or
    2-6              (3)  be certified by an appropriate professional
    2-7  organization having appropriate certification standards.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-9  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-10  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-11  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-12  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-13  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-14  passage, and it is so enacted.