By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 1145
         76R5029 MXM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the continuing education requirements for a licensed
 1-3     chemical dependency counselor.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 15, Chapter 635, Acts of the 72nd
 1-6     Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 4512o, Vernon's Texas
 1-7     Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 15.  CONTINUING EDUCATION.  (a)  The commission shall
 1-9     recognize, prepare, or administer continuing education programs for
1-10     licensed chemical dependency counselors.  Participation in the
1-11     programs is mandatory for licensure.
1-12           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section, a
1-13     [A] person licensed under this Act must complete at least 60 hours
1-14     of continuing education in each two-year period in which the person
1-15     holds a license as a requirement for the renewal of the license.
1-16           (c)  A person licensed under this Act to whom this subsection
1-17     applies must complete at least 24 hours of continuing education in
1-18     each two-year period in which the person holds a license as a
1-19     requirement for the renewal of the license.  This subsection
1-20     applies only to a license holder who is also licensed as:
1-21                 (1)  a licensed master social worker, as defined by
1-22     Section 50.001, Human Resources Code;
1-23                 (2)  a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
1-24     defined by Section 2, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act
 2-1     (Article 4512c-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
 2-2                 (3)  a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
 2-3     Section 2, Licensed Professional Counselor Act (Article 4512g,
 2-4     Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
 2-5                 (4)  a physician who is practicing medicine, as defined
 2-6     by Section 1.03, Medical Practice Act (Article 4495b, Vernon's
 2-7     Texas Civil Statutes); or
 2-8                 (5)  a psychologist, as defined by Section 2,
 2-9     Psychologists' Licensing Act (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil
2-10     Statutes).
2-11           (d)  The commission shall provide by rule for the
2-12     administration of the continuing education requirements for license
2-13     renewal under this Act.  Except for the number of hours required,
2-14     the commission may not adopt a rule that distinguishes between the
2-15     continuing education requirements required for a license holder
2-16     subject to Subsection (b) of this section and a license holder
2-17     subject to Subsection (c) of this section.
2-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
2-19     applies only to a license to practice as a chemical dependency
2-20     counselor that is renewed on or after that date.
2-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.