1-1     By:  Zaffirini                                        S.B. No. 1212
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 7, 2001; March 8, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services;
 1-4     April 3, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
 1-5     Nays 0; April 3, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the examination for licensure as a chemical dependency
 1-9     counselor.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 504.157, Occupations Code, is amended by
1-12     amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
1-13     follows:
1-14           (c)  An applicant who fails any part of the examination may
1-15     retake the part of the [take a subsequent] examination the
1-16     applicant failed on payment of the required examination fee.
1-17     Except as provided by Subsection (d), an [An] applicant must pass
1-18     each part of the examination within four attempts.
1-19           (d)  An applicant who has failed any part of the examination
1-20     four times must provide evidence to the commission that the
1-21     applicant has successfully completed at least 25 hours of remedial
1-22     college course work or its equivalent as determined by the
1-23     commission.  An applicant who satisfies that requirement may take
1-24     the part of the examination the applicant failed [may not be
1-25     reexamined more than] three additional times.
1-26           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
1-27     504.157, Occupations Code, applies to a person whose first attempt
1-28     to pass an examination under Section 504.156, Occupations Code,
1-29     occurs before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.  A
1-30     person who failed an examination or part of an examination under
1-31     Section 504.156, Occupations Code, before the effective date of
1-32     this Act may take subsequent examinations as provided by Section
1-33     504.157, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.
1-34           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-35     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-36     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-37     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-38     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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