By: Barrientos S.B. No. 1168 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the provision of professionals to aid in the treatment 1-2 of felons for substance abuse. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subsection (e), Section 493.009, Government Code, 1-5 is amended to read as follows: 1-6 (e) The department shall contract through the Texas 1-7 Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse with nonprofit organizations 1-8 and private, for-profit entities to provide qualified professionals 1-9 to implement the program for persons sentenced under Section 1-10 12.422, Penal Code. For purposes of this subsection, a "qualified 1-11 professional" is a person who: 1-12 (1) is a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor; 1-13 (2) is a certified social worker or advanced clinical 1-14 practitioner and who has at least two years of experience in 1-15 chemical dependency counseling; or 1-16 (3) is a licensed professional counselor, physician, 1-17 or psychologist and who has at least two years of experience in 1-18 chemical dependency counseling. 1-19 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-2 passage, and it is so enacted.