| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to a school psychologist licensed under the Occupations |
|
|
Code. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 38.303(a), Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The task force is composed of: |
|
|
(1) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee; |
|
|
(2) the following additional members appointed by the |
|
|
commissioner: |
|
|
(A) three parents of students who are enrolled in |
|
|
school districts or open-enrollment charter schools and receive the |
|
|
mental health services described by Section 38.302(1); |
|
|
(B) one person who provides the mental health |
|
|
services described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described |
|
|
by Section 38.302(2) and who is: |
|
|
(i) a licensed professional counselor, as |
|
|
defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(ii) a licensed clinical social worker, as |
|
|
defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code; or |
|
|
(iii) a school counselor certified under |
|
|
Subchapter B, Chapter 21; |
|
|
(C) one person who is a psychiatrist; |
|
|
(D) two persons who are administrators of |
|
|
districts or schools that provide the mental health services |
|
|
described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described by Section |
|
|
38.302(2); |
|
|
(E) one person who is a member of a foundation |
|
|
that invests in the mental health services described by Section |
|
|
38.302(1) or the training described by Section 38.302(2); |
|
|
(F) one person who is an employee of an |
|
|
institution of higher education designated under Section 38.307; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(G) one person who is a [licensed specialist in] |
|
|
school psychologist [psychology], as defined by Section 501.002, |
|
|
Occupations Code; and |
|
|
(3) for any other entity the task force considers |
|
|
necessary, one person appointed by the task force for each such |
|
|
entity. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 61.601, Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 61.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "mental |
|
|
health professional" means: |
|
|
(1) a licensed physician who is: |
|
|
(A) a graduate of an accredited psychiatric |
|
|
residency training program; or |
|
|
(B) certified in psychiatry by: |
|
|
(i) the American Board of Psychiatry and |
|
|
Neurology; or |
|
|
(ii) the American Osteopathic Board of |
|
|
Neurology and Psychiatry; |
|
|
(2) a psychologist, as defined by Section 501.002, |
|
|
Occupations Code; |
|
|
(3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by |
|
|
Section 503.002, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(4) an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined |
|
|
by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a nationally |
|
|
recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental health |
|
|
nursing; |
|
|
(5) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by |
|
|
Section 505.002, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(6) a [licensed specialist in] school psychologist |
|
|
[psychology], as defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(7) a chemical dependency counselor, as defined by |
|
|
Section 504.001, Occupations Code; and |
|
|
(8) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as |
|
|
defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 61.607(b), Education Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(b) The total amount of repayment assistance received by a |
|
|
mental health professional under this subchapter may not exceed: |
|
|
(1) $160,000, for assistance from the state received |
|
|
by a licensed physician; |
|
|
(2) $80,000, for assistance from the state received |
|
|
by: |
|
|
(A) a psychologist; |
|
|
(B) a licensed clinical social worker, if the |
|
|
social worker has received a doctoral degree related to social |
|
|
work; |
|
|
(C) a licensed professional counselor, if the |
|
|
counselor has received a doctoral degree related to counseling; or |
|
|
(D) a licensed marriage and family therapist, if |
|
|
the marriage and family therapist has received a doctoral degree |
|
|
related to marriage and family therapy; |
|
|
(3) $60,000, for assistance from the state received by |
|
|
an advanced practice registered nurse; |
|
|
(4) $40,000, for assistance from the state received |
|
|
by: |
|
|
(A) a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed |
|
|
marriage and family therapist, or a licensed professional counselor |
|
|
who is not described by Subdivision (2); or |
|
|
(B) a [licensed specialist in] school |
|
|
psychologist [psychology]; and |
|
|
(5) $10,000, for assistance from the state received by |
|
|
a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical |
|
|
dependency counselor has received an associate degree related to |
|
|
chemical dependency counseling or behavioral science. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 411.12502(a), Government Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council is |
|
|
entitled to obtain criminal history record information as provided |
|
|
by Subsection (b) that relates to a person who is an applicant for |
|
|
or licensed as: |
|
|
(1) a licensed psychologist, licensed psychological |
|
|
associate, or [licensed specialist in] school psychologist |
|
|
[psychology] under Chapter 501, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(2) a licensed marriage and family therapist or |
|
|
licensed marriage and family therapist associate under Chapter 502, |
|
|
Occupations Code; |
|
|
(3) a licensed professional counselor or licensed |
|
|
professional counselor associate under Chapter 503, Occupations |
|
|
Code; or |
|
|
(4) a licensed baccalaureate social worker, licensed |
|
|
master social worker, or licensed clinical social worker under |
|
|
Chapter 505, Occupations Code. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Section 548.0203(a), Government Code, as |
|
|
effective April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) In this section, "health professional" means an |
|
|
individual who is: |
|
|
(1) licensed, registered, certified, or otherwise |
|
|
authorized by this state to practice as a social worker, |
|
|
occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist; |
|
|
(2) a licensed professional counselor; |
|
|
(3) a licensed marriage and family therapist; or |
|
|
(4) a [licensed specialist in] school psychologist, as |
|
|
defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code [psychology]. |
|
|
SECTION 6. Section 501.002(2), Occupations Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(2) "School psychologist" ["Licensed specialist in |
|
|
school psychology"] means a person who holds a license to engage in |
|
|
the practice of psychology under Section 501.260. |
|
|
SECTION 7. Section 501.051(a-1), Occupations Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a-1) One of the members appointed under Subsection (a)(1) |
|
|
or (a)(2) must practice as a [licensed specialist in] school |
|
|
psychologist [psychology] under Section 501.260. |
|
|
SECTION 8. The heading to Section 501.260, Occupations |
|
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 501.260. [LICENSED SPECIALIST IN] SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST |
|
|
[PSYCHOLOGY]. |
|
|
SECTION 9. Sections 501.260(a) and (c), Occupations Code, |
|
|
are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The executive council by rule shall issue a license to a |
|
|
[licensed specialist in] school psychologist [psychology]. A |
|
|
license issued under this section constitutes the appropriate |
|
|
credential for a person who provides psychological services as |
|
|
required by Section 21.003(b), Education Code. |
|
|
(c) The rules of practice for a [licensed specialist in] |
|
|
school psychologist [psychology] must comply with nationally |
|
|
recognized standards for the practice of school psychology. |
|
|
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |