1-1 By: Maxey (Senate Sponsor - Moncrief) H.B. No. 1145
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 29, 1999;
1-3 March 30, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human
1-4 Services; May 6, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 6, 1999, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the continuing education requirements for a licensed
1-9 chemical dependency counselor.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 15, Chapter 635, Acts of the 72nd
1-12 Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 4512o, Vernon's Texas
1-13 Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 15. CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a) The commission shall
1-15 recognize, prepare, or administer continuing education programs for
1-16 licensed chemical dependency counselors. Participation in the
1-17 programs is mandatory for licensure.
1-18 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section, a
1-19 [A] person licensed under this Act must complete at least 60 hours
1-20 of continuing education in each two-year period in which the person
1-21 holds a license as a requirement for the renewal of the license.
1-22 (c) A person licensed under this Act to whom this subsection
1-23 applies must complete at least 24 hours of continuing education in
1-24 each two-year period in which the person holds a license as a
1-25 requirement for the renewal of the license. This subsection
1-26 applies only to a license holder who is also licensed as:
1-27 (1) a licensed master social worker, as defined by
1-28 Section 50.001, Human Resources Code;
1-29 (2) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
1-30 defined by Section 2, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act
1-31 (Article 4512c-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
1-32 (3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
1-33 Section 2, Licensed Professional Counselor Act (Article 4512g,
1-34 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
1-35 (4) a physician who is practicing medicine, as defined
1-36 by Section 1.03, Medical Practice Act (Article 4495b, Vernon's
1-37 Texas Civil Statutes); or
1-38 (5) a psychologist, as defined by Section 2,
1-39 Psychologists' Licensing Act (Article 4512c, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-40 Statutes).
1-41 (d) The commission shall provide by rule for the
1-42 administration of the continuing education requirements for license
1-43 renewal under this Act. Except for the number of hours required,
1-44 the commission may not adopt a rule that distinguishes between the
1-45 continuing education requirements required for a license holder
1-46 subject to Subsection (b) of this section and a license holder
1-47 subject to Subsection (c) of this section.
1-48 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-49 applies only to a license to practice as a chemical dependency
1-50 counselor that is renewed on or after that date.
1-51 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-52 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-53 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-54 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-55 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-56 * * * * *