By: King of Taylor (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 1430
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2015;
May 4, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Education; May 11, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 11, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the inclusion of mental health in the public services
endorsement on a public school diploma and in information about
health science career pathways.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 28.02122 to read as follows:
Sec. 28.02122. INCLUSION OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONS IN
HEALTH SCIENCE CAREER INFORMATION. The agency shall ensure that
any information provided to students relating to health science
careers includes information regarding mental health professions.
To the extent that the public services endorsement includes
information on health science career pathways, the information must
include mental health careers as a possible pathway.
SECTION 2. Section 28.025(c-1), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c-1) A student may earn an endorsement on the student's
diploma and transcript by successfully completing curriculum
requirements for that endorsement adopted by the State Board of
Education by rule. The State Board of Education by rule shall
provide students with multiple options for earning each
endorsement, including, to the greatest extent possible, coherent
sequences of courses. The State Board of Education by rule must
permit a student to enroll in courses under more than one
endorsement curriculum before the student's junior year. An
endorsement under this subsection may be earned in any of the
following categories:
(1) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM), which includes courses directly related to science,
including environmental science, technology, including computer
science, engineering, and advanced mathematics;
(2) business and industry, which includes courses
directly related to database management, information technology,
communications, accounting, finance, marketing, graphic design,
architecture, construction, welding, logistics, automotive
technology, agricultural science, and heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning;
(3) public services, which includes courses directly
related to health sciences and occupations, mental health,
education and training, law enforcement, and culinary arts and
hospitality;
(4) arts and humanities, which includes courses
directly related to political science, world languages, cultural
studies, English literature, history, and fine arts; and
(5) multidisciplinary studies, which allows a student
to:
(A) select courses from the curriculum of each
endorsement area described by Subdivisions (1) through (4); and
(B) earn credits in a variety of advanced courses
from multiple content areas sufficient to complete the
distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school
program.
SECTION 3. 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, 2015.
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