Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
94th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2023 HOUSE BILL 1772 3
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By: Representative L. Johnson 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 7
AN ACT TO CREATE THE PSYCHO LOGICAL AND 8
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL T ESTING WORKFORCE SCH OLARSHIP, 9
STIPEND, AND INCENTI VE PROGRAM; AND FOR OTHER 10
PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO CREATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND 15
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING WORKFORCE 16
SCHOLARSHIP, STIPEND, AND INCENTIVE 17
PROGRAM. 18
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 81, is amended to add an 23
additional subchapter to read as follows: 24
Subchapter 19 — Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce 25
Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program 26
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6-81-1901. Creation. 28
There is created the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing 29
Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program to be administered by 30
the Arkansas Psychology Board in ac cordance with the provisions of this 31
subchapter. 32
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6-81-1902. Legislative findings and intent. 34
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 35
(1) Neuropsychological testing services are necessary services 36 HB1772
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for the citizens of the State of Arkansas in order to p rovide access to and 1
inform a broad range of clinical services, psychoeducational services, and 2
legal and quasi-legal decision-making skills, including without limitation 3
child custody evaluations, forensic evaluations, and occupationally mandated 4
psychological and neuropsychological evaluations; and 5
(2) There is a workforce shortage and a need for education and 6
training to promote the workforce pipeline for these clinical services. 7
(b) It is the intent of this subchapter that the Arkansas Psychology 8
Board shall approve scholarships, stipends, and incentives, such as loan 9
repayment assistance, based on standards established by the General Assembly 10
and the board for individuals pursuing career paths that address the 11
workforce shortage for these clinical services. 12
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6-81-1903. Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce 14
Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program — Funding. 15
(a) Cash funds for the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing 16
Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Progra m shall consist of: 17
(1) Funds appropriated for the program; 18
(2) Federal funds; 19
(3) Gifts; 20
(4) Grants; 21
(5) Bequests; 22
(6) Devises; 23
(7) Donations; 24
(8) Interest and other income accruing to or earned by the 25
funds; and 26
(9) All moneys provided by law. 27
(b) The Arkansas Psychology Board: 28
(1) May invest the principal, interest, and income of the funds; 29
and 30
(2) Shall use the funds for program scholarships, stipends, and 31
incentives. 32
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6-81-1904. Arkansas Psychology Board — Powers and duties. 34
(a) The Arkansas Psychology Board shall: 35
(1) Prescribe forms to be used for the Psychological and 36 HB1772
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Neuropsychological Testing Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive 1
Program; 2
(2) Monitor the submission of applications for scholarship s, 3
stipends, or incentives; 4
(3) Determine eligibility of applicants; 5
(4) Allow or reject applications for scholarships, stipends, or 6
incentives; 7
(5) Contract for, increase, decrease, terminate, and otherwise 8
monitor all scholarships, stipends, and incentives made under this 9
subchapter; and 10
(6) Manage, operate, and control all funds and property 11
appropriated or otherwise contributed for purposes of funding this program. 12
(b) The board may: 13
(1) Accept gifts, grants, bequests, devises, donation s, and any 14
federal funds available for the program, to be used together with funds 15
appropriated for the program for making scholarships, stipends, and 16
incentives under this subchapter; and 17
(2) Hire a qualified person or entity to administer the program. 18
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6-81-1905. Eligibility and requirements for scholarships. 20
The Arkansas Psychology Board may award a scholarship, stipend, or 21
incentive under the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce 22
Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program availab le to an applicant who: 23
(1) Is a bona fide resident of Arkansas; and 24
(2) Is: 25
(A) Enrolled in good standing or has been accepted for 26
admission to a program as a: 27
(i) Psychology student or trainee who is pursuing a 28
bachelor's degree to obtain status as a technician according to the 29
requirements of § 17 -97-401 et seq. and the board; or 30
(ii) Doctoral psychology student or trainee who has 31
been placed in an approved training site that is focused on psychological or 32
neuropsychological testing u nder the supervision of a licensed psychologist; 33
or 34
(B) A licensed psychologist who provides psychological or 35
neuropsychological testing services. 36 HB1772
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1
6-81-1906. Scholarship, stipend, and incentive — Amount. 2
(a) The Arkansas Psychology Board may award a scholarship to cover 3
tuition and the required coursework to an applicant who has been accepted for 4
admission or is enrolled in good standing in a program as a psychology 5
student or trainee who is pursuing a bachelor's degree to obtain status as a 6
technician according to the requirements of § 17 -97-401 et seq. and the 7
board. 8
(b) The board may award a stipend to support required training 9
experience to an applicant who has been accepted for admission or is enrolled 10
in good standing in a program as a doctoral psychology student or trainee who 11
has been placed in an approved training site that is focused on psychological 12
or neuropsychological testing under the supervision of a licensed 13
psychologist. 14
(c) The board may provide loan forgiveness assistance to an applicant 15
who is a licensed psychologist who provides psychological or 16
neuropsychological testing services. 17
(d) The board may provide a financial incentive to an applicant who 18
agrees to work full time for at least two (2) years in Arkansas providi ng 19
psychological or neuropsychological testing services following his or her 20
educational training. 21
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6-81-1907. Renewal. 23
(a) Subject to the availability of funds, each scholarship, stipend, 24
or incentive awarded to an applicant under this subchapter sha ll be renewable 25
annually for the number of years required to complete a qualifying program 26
under this subchapter. 27
(b) Each scholarship, stipend, or incentive awarded to an applicant 28
under this subchapter subsequent to his or her initial receipt of a 29
scholarship, stipend, or incentive shall be made only upon application of the 30
recipient and upon a finding by the Arkansas Psychology Board that the 31
applicant meets all qualifications under this subchapter and board rules. 32
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6-81-1908. Rules. 34
The Arkansas Psychology Board may adopt rules consistent with this 35
subchapter to effectively and efficiently carry out the purposes of this 36 HB1772
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