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.