By Rodriguez H.B. No. 3417
75R5872 CAG-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the practice of psychological associates and
1-3 psychologists.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 11(b) and (c), Psychologists'
1-6 Certification and Licensing Act (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas
1-7 Civil Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) An applicant whose master's or doctoral degree was
1-9 received on or after January 1, 1979, must have received a master's
1-10 or doctoral degree in psychology from a regionally accredited
1-11 educational institution.
1-12 (c) An applicant whose master's or doctoral degree was
1-13 received before January 1, 1979, must have received either a
1-14 master's or doctoral degree in psychology, or the substantial
1-15 equivalent of a master's or doctoral degree in psychology in both
1-16 subject matter and extent of training, from a regionally accredited
1-17 educational institution. In determining whether a degree is
1-18 substantially equivalent, the Board shall consider whether the
1-19 master's or doctoral program met the prevailing standards for
1-20 training in the area of psychology, including standards for
1-21 training in counseling, clinical, school, and industrial, in effect
1-22 at the time the degree was conferred.
1-23 SECTION 2. Section 19, Psychologists' Certification and
1-24 Licensing Act (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is
2-1 amended to read as follows:
2-2 Sec. 19. SUB-DOCTORAL LICENSE. The Board, with the advice
2-3 of the Psychological Associate Advisory Committee as provided by
2-4 Section 19A of this Act, shall set standards for qualification and
2-5 issue licenses for sub-doctoral levels of psychological personnel.
2-6 Sub-doctoral personnel must have a master's degree in a program
2-7 that is primarily psychological in nature in an accredited
2-8 university or college. Sub-doctoral levels shall be designated by
2-9 a title(s) which includes the adjective "psychological" followed by
2-10 a noun such as "associate," "assistant," "examiner," "technician,"
2-11 etc. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a licensed
2-12 psychological associate who is in good standing with the Board may
2-13 engage in the autonomous practice of psychology.
2-14 SECTION 3. Section 19A(l), Psychologists' Certification and
2-15 Licensing Act (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is
2-16 amended to read as follows:
2-17 (l) The advisory committee shall develop and recommend rules
2-18 to the Board that establish:
2-19 (1) the license qualifications for psychological
2-20 associates;
2-21 (2) the supervision requirements for psychological
2-22 associates practicing less than two [five] years;
2-23 (3) the permitted activities and services within the
2-24 practice of psychological associates;
2-25 (4) the schedule of disciplinary sanctions required by
2-26 Section 23(b) of this Act that apply to psychological associates;
2-27 (5) the continuing education requirements for
3-1 psychological associates;
3-2 (6) the proportional billing guidelines for services
3-3 rendered by psychological associates with less than two [five]
3-4 years experience; and
3-5 (7) the guidelines, including additional educational
3-6 requirements, for practice without [with minimal] supervision for
3-7 psychological associates with two [five] or more years of
3-8 experience.
3-9 SECTION 4. Section 21(a), Psychologists' Certification and
3-10 Licensing Act (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is
3-11 amended to read as follows:
3-12 (a) Any person who practices psychology as defined herein
3-13 for compensation, must apply to the Board and upon payment of a fee
3-14 shall be granted a license by the Board. No person may be licensed
3-15 as a psychologist unless:
3-16 (1) the person is certified as a psychologist under
3-17 the authority of this Act; and
3-18 (2) the person has had at least two years of
3-19 supervised experience in the field of psychological services, one
3-20 year of which may be part of the master's or doctoral program and
3-21 at least one year of which was after the person's master's or
3-22 doctoral degree was conferred.
3-23 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
3-24 SECTION 6. (a) A person may be licensed as a psychological
3-25 associate without an examination if the person applies on or before
3-26 September 1, 1998, and the person:
3-27 (1) holds a master's or doctoral degree primarily in
4-1 the field of psychology from a regionally accredited educational
4-2 institution;
4-3 (2) has 24 months or 2,000 hours of professional
4-4 experience working in the field of psychology or in a related
4-5 field; and
4-6 (3) submits a completed application required by the
4-7 Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists and any required
4-8 application fee.
4-9 (b) The Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists by
4-10 rule may waive the educational and experience requirements of
4-11 Subsection (a) of this section and may allow a person to receive a
4-12 license as a psychological associate without an examination if the
4-13 person is:
4-14 (1) a school psychologist certified by a national
4-15 organization recognized by the board; or
4-16 (2) a licensed specialist in school psychology under
4-17 Section 26, Psychologists' Certification and Licensing Act (Article
4-18 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).
4-19 (c) A person licensed under this section may engage in the
4-20 autonomous practice of psychology without complying with any other
4-21 requirement of the Psychologists' Certification and Licensing Act
4-22 (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).
4-23 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
4-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.