By Capelo                                             H.B. No. 2944
         77R7034 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the qualifications for a professional counselor
 1-3     license.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 503.302(a), Occupations Code, is amended
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A person qualifies for a license under this chapter if
 1-8     the person:
 1-9                 (1)  is at least 18 years old;
1-10                 (2)  has a master's or doctoral degree in counseling
1-11     [or a related field];
1-12                 (3)  has successfully completed a graduate degree at a
1-13     regionally accredited institution of higher education and a planned
1-14     graduate program of 48 graduate semester hours, including 300 clock
1-15     hours of supervised practicum that:
1-16                       (A)  is primarily counseling in nature; and
1-17                       (B)  meets the specific academic course content
1-18     and training standards established by the board;
1-19                 (4)  has completed 36 months or 3,000 hours of
1-20     supervised experience working in a counseling setting that meets
1-21     the requirements established by the board after the completion of
1-22     the graduate program described by Subdivision (3);
1-23                 (5)  except as provided by Subsection (b), passes the
1-24     license examination required by this chapter;
 2-1                 (6)  submits an application as required by the board,
 2-2     accompanied by the required application fee; and
 2-3                 (7)  meets any other requirement prescribed by the
 2-4     board.
 2-5           SECTION 2. (a)  In accordance with Section 311.031(c),
 2-6     Government Code, which gives effect to a substantive amendment
 2-7     enacted by the same legislature that codifies the amended statute,
 2-8     the text of Section 503.302(a), Occupations Code, as set out in
 2-9     this Act, gives effect to changes made by Section 3, Chapter 717,
2-10     Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999.
2-11           (b)  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over
2-12     another Act of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001,
2-13     relating to nonsubstantive additions and corrections in enacted
2-14     codes.
2-15           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
2-16     applies only to a license application filed with the Texas State
2-17     Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors on or after that
2-18     date.  An application filed before that date is governed by the law
2-19     in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and
2-20     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.