BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 71 By: Barrientos Health and Human Services 2-16-95 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Currently, the professional counselor board uses a state exam instead of a national one. In addition, out-of-state applicants are required to take the Texas exam. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 71 increases the minimum supervised counseling experience for a person applying to be a licensed professional counselor. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 10(5), Article 4512g, V.T.C.S. (Licensed Professional Counselor Act), to require an applicant for a professional counselor license to complete 36, rather than 24, months, or 3,000, rather than 2,000, hours of supervised experience. SECTION 2. Amends Section 12(e), Article 4512g, V.T.C.S., to exempt an applicant who meets the requirements for licensing by endorsement under Section 18(a) of this Act from the examination administered under this section. SECTION 3. Amends Section 16(a), Article 4512g, V.T.C.S., as follows: (a) Requires the board to revoke, suspend, suspend on an emergency basis, or refuse to renew the license of a counselor, place on probation a counselor whose license has been suspended, or reprimand a counselor if the counselor meets certain criteria. SECTION 3. (a) Effective date: September 1, 1995. Makes application of this Act prospective. (b) Makes application of Section 2 of this Act retroactive to September 1, 1993. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.