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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to educational requirements for licensing as a |
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speech-language pathologist or audiologist and to reciprocity for |
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audiologists licensed in other states. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 401.304(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible for licensing as a speech-language |
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pathologist or audiologist, an applicant must: |
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(1) if the application is for a license in: |
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(A) speech-language pathology, possess at least |
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a master's degree with a major in at least one of the areas of |
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communicative sciences or disorders from a program accredited by a |
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national accrediting organization approved by the board [the
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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association] in an accredited or |
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approved college or university; or |
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(B) audiology, possess at least a doctoral degree |
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in audiology from a program accredited by a national accrediting |
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organization approved by the board in an accredited or approved |
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college or university; |
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(2) submit a transcript from a public or private |
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institution of higher learning showing successful completion of |
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course work in amounts set by the board in: |
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(A) normal development and use of speech, |
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language, and hearing; |
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(B) evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation |
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of speech, language, and hearing disorders; and |
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(C) related fields that augment the work of |
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clinical practitioners of speech-language pathology and audiology; |
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(3) have successfully completed at least 36 semester |
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hours in courses that are acceptable toward a graduate degree by the |
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college or university in which the courses are taken, at least 24 of |
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which must be in the professional area for which the license is |
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requested and at least six of which must be: |
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(A) in audiology if the application is for a |
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speech-language pathology license; or |
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(B) in speech-language pathology if the |
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application is for an audiology license; |
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(4) have completed the minimum number of hours, |
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established by the board, of supervised clinical experience with |
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persons who present a variety of communication disorders; and |
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(5) have completed the full-time supervised |
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professional experience, as defined by board rule, in which |
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clinical work has been accomplished in the major professional area |
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for which the license is being sought. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 401, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 401.3081 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 401.3081. AUDIOLOGIST LICENSED IN ANOTHER |
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JURISDICTION. (a) The board may waive any prerequisite to |
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obtaining a license for an applicant for licensing as an |
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audiologist after reviewing the applicant's credentials and |
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determining that the applicant holds a license issued by another |
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jurisdiction that has licensing requirements substantially |
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equivalent to those of this state. |
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(b) The board may waive any prerequisite to obtaining a |
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license for an applicant for licensing as an audiologist who holds a |
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license issued by another jurisdiction with which this state has a |
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reciprocity agreement. The board may make an agreement, subject to |
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the approval of the governor, with another state to allow for |
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licensing by reciprocity. |
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SECTION 3. Section 401.304, Occupations Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a person who applies for a speech-language |
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pathologist or audiologist license on or after the effective date |
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of this Act. A person who applies for a license before that date is |
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governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date |
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of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |