|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to a license requirement for licensed professional |
|
counselors employed by school districts. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 21.002, Education Code, |
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) A school district shall employ each classroom teacher, |
|
principal, librarian, nurse, or school counselor under: |
|
(1) a probationary contract, as provided by Subchapter |
|
C; |
|
(2) a continuing contract, as provided by Subchapter |
|
D; or |
|
(3) a term contract, as provided by Subchapter E. |
|
SECTION 2. Section 21.003, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 21.003. CERTIFICATION REQUIRED. (a) A person may not |
|
be employed as a teacher, teacher intern or teacher trainee, |
|
librarian, educational aide, administrator, educational |
|
diagnostician, or school counselor by a school district unless the |
|
person holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued as |
|
provided by Subchapter B. |
|
(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a |
|
person may not be employed by a school district as an audiologist, |
|
occupational therapist, physical therapist, physician, nurse, |
|
school psychologist, associate school psychologist, licensed |
|
professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, social |
|
worker, or speech language pathologist unless the person is |
|
licensed by the state agency that licenses that profession and may |
|
perform specific services within those professions for a school |
|
district only if the person holds the appropriate credential from |
|
the appropriate state agency. As long as a person employed by a |
|
district before September 1, 2011, to perform marriage and family |
|
therapy, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, is |
|
employed by the same district, the person is not required to hold a |
|
license as a marriage and family therapist to perform marriage and |
|
family therapy with that district. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 503.051, Occupations Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 503.051. COUNSELING FOR GOVERNMENT OR EDUCATIONAL |
|
INSTITUTION. This chapter does not apply to an activity, service, |
|
or use of an official title by a person employed as a counselor by a |
|
federal, state, county, or municipal agency or, except as provided |
|
by Section 21.003(b), Education Code, by a public or private |
|
educational institution if the person is performing counseling or |
|
counseling-related activities within the scope of the person's |
|
employment. |
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |