|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to mental health professional staffing requirements at |
|
certain public institutions of higher education. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
|
amended by adding Section 51.9196 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 51.9196. MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL STAFFING |
|
REQUIREMENT. (a) In this section: |
|
(1) "General academic teaching institution" and |
|
"public state college" have the meanings assigned by Section |
|
61.003. |
|
(2) "Mental health professional" has the meaning |
|
assigned by Section 164.003, Health and Safety Code. |
|
(b) This section applies only to a general academic teaching |
|
institution other than a public state college. |
|
(c) Beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year, an |
|
institution to which this section applies shall ensure that at |
|
least one full-time mental health professional is available at the |
|
institution for every 1,500 students enrolled in a full course load |
|
at the institution. |
|
(c-1) Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, an |
|
institution to which this section applies shall ensure that at |
|
least one full-time mental health professional is available at the |
|
institution for every 1,750 students enrolled in a full course load |
|
at the institution. This subsection expires September 1, 2021. |
|
(d) The mental health professional to student ratio |
|
required by this section does not include students who attend the |
|
institution through online coursework only. |
|
(e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
|
adopt rules as necessary to administer this section. |
|
SECTION 2. 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, 2017. |