Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 842 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/3/23 1
94th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2023 HOUSE BILL 1772 3
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By: Representative L. Johnson 5
By: Senator B. Davis 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO CREATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND 9
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL T ESTING WORKFORCE SCH OLARSHIP, 10
STIPEND, AND INCENTI VE PROGRAM; AND FOR OTHER 11
PURPOSES. 12
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Subtitle 15
TO CREATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND 16
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING WORKFORCE 17
SCHOLARSHIP, STIPEND, AND INCENTIVE 18
PROGRAM. 19
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 81, is amended to add an 24
additional subchapter to read as follows: 25
Subchapter 19 — Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce 26
Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program 27
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6-81-1901. Creation. 29
There is created the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing 30
Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program to be a dministered by 31
the Arkansas Psychology Board in accordance with the provisions of this 32
subchapter. 33
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6-81-1902. Legislative findings and intent. 35
(a) The General Assembly finds that: 36 As Engrossed: H4/3/23 HB1772
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(1) Neuropsychological testing services are necessary services 1
for the citizens of the State of Arkansas in order to provide access to and 2
inform a broad range of clinical services, psychoeducational services, and 3
legal and quasi-legal decision-making skills, including without limitation 4
child custody evaluations, forensic evaluations, and occupationally mandated 5
psychological and neuropsychological evaluations; and 6
(2) There is a workforce shortage and a need for education and 7
training to promote the workforce pipeline for these clinical services. 8
(b) It is the intent of this subchapter that the Arkansas Psychology 9
Board shall approve scholarships, stipends, and incentives, such as loan 10
repayment assistance, based on standards established by the General Assembly 11
and the board for individuals pursuing career paths that address the 12
workforce shortage for these clinical services. 13
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6-81-1903. Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce 15
Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program — Funding. 16
(a) Cash funds for the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing 17
Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program shall consist of: 18
(1) Funds appropriated for the program; 19
(2) Federal funds; 20
(3) Gifts; 21
(4) Grants; 22
(5) Bequests; 23
(6) Devises; 24
(7) Donations; 25
(8) Interest and other income accruing to or earned by the 26
funds; and 27
(9) All moneys provided by law. 28
(b) The Arkansas Psychology Board: 29
(1) May invest the principal, interest, and income of the funds; 30
and 31
(2) Shall use the funds for program scholarships, stipends, and 32
incentives. 33
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6-81-1904. Arkansas Psychology Board — Powers and duties. 35
(a) The Arkansas Psychology Board shall: 36 As Engrossed: H4/3/23 HB1772
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(1) Prescribe forms to be used for the Psychological and 1
Neuropsychological Testing Workforce Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive 2
Program; 3
(2) Monitor the submission of applications for scholarships, 4
stipends, or incentives; 5
(3) Determine eligibility of applicants; 6
(4) Allow or reject applications for scholarships, stipends, or 7
incentives; 8
(5) Contract for, increase, decrease, terminate, and otherwise 9
monitor all scholarships, stipends, and incentives made under this 10
subchapter; and 11
(6) Manage, operate, and control all funds and property 12
appropriated or otherwise contributed for purposes of funding this program. 13
(b) The board may: 14
(1) Accept gifts, grants, bequests, devises, donations, and any 15
federal funds available for the program, to be used together with funds 16
appropriated for the program for making scholarships, stipends, and 17
incentives under this subchapter; and 18
(2) Hire a qualified person or entity to administer the program. 19
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6-81-1905. Eligibility and requirements for scholarships. 21
The Arkansas Psychology Board may award a scholarship, stipend, or 22
incentive under the Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing Workforce 23
Scholarship, Stipend, and Incentive Program available to an applicant who: 24
(1) Is a bona fide resident of Arkansas; and 25
(2) Is: 26
(A) Enrolled in good standing or has been accepted for 27
admission to a program as a: 28
(i) Psychology student or trainee who is pursuing a 29
bachelor's degree to obtain status as a technician according to the 30
requirements of § 17 -97-401 et seq. and the board; or 31
(ii) Master level or doctoral psychology student or 32
trainee who has been placed in an approved training site that is focused on 33
psychological or neuropsychological testing under the supervision of a 34
licensed psychologist; or 35
(B) A licensed psychological examiner or licensed 36 As Engrossed: H4/3/23 HB1772
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psychologist who provides psychological or neuropsychological testing 1
services. 2
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6-81-1906. Scholarship, stipend, and incentive — Amount. 4
(a) The Arkansas Psychology Board may award a scholarship to cover 5
tuition and the required coursework to an applicant who has been accepted for 6
admission or is enrolled in good standing in a p rogram as a psychology 7
student or trainee who is pursuing a bachelor's degree to obtain status as a 8
technician according to the requirements of § 17 -97-401 et seq. and the 9
board. 10
(b) The board may award a stipend to support required training 11
experience to an applicant who has been accepted for admission or is enrolled 12
in good standing in a program as a master level or doctoral psychology 13
student or trainee who has been placed in a n approved training site that is 14
focused on psychological or neuropsychological testing under the supervision 15
of a licensed psychologist. 16
(c) The board may provide loan forgiveness assistance to an applicant 17
who is a licensed psychological examiner or li censed psychologist who 18
provides psychological or neuropsychological testing services. 19
(d) The board may provide a financial incentive to an applicant who 20
agrees to work full time for at least two (2) years in Arkansas providing 21
psychological or neuropsy chological testing services following his or her 22
educational training. 23
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6-81-1907. Renewal. 25
(a) Subject to the availability of funds, each scholarship, stipend, 26
or incentive awarded to an applicant under this subchapter shall be renewable 27
annually for the number of years required to complete a qualifying program 28
under this subchapter. 29
(b) Each scholarship, stipend, or incentive awarded to an applicant 30
under this subchapter subsequent to his or her initial receipt of a 31
scholarship, stipend, or incenti ve shall be made only upon application of the 32
recipient and upon a finding by the Arkansas Psychology Board that the 33
applicant meets all qualifications under this subchapter and board rules. 34
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6-81-1908. Rules. 36 As Engrossed: H4/3/23 HB1772
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The Arkansas Psychology Board may adopt ru les consistent with this 1
subchapter to effectively and efficiently carry out the purposes of this 2
subchapter. 3
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/s/L. Johnson 5
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APPROVED: 4/13/23 8
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