Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1254 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R9082 EES-D
2	2	By: Taylor of Collin S.B. No. 1254
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the practice of and the billing codes used by certain
8	8	mental health professionals.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Occupations Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 502.0021 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 502.0021. PRACTICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY.
13	13	(a) In this section, "marriage and family therapy" means the
14	14	provision of professional therapy services to individuals,
15	15	families, or couples, alone or in groups, that involve applying
16	16	family systems theories and techniques, including the evaluation
17	17	and remediation of cognitive, affective, behavioral, or relational
18	18	dysfunction in the context of marriage or family systems.
19	19	(b) The practice of marriage and family therapy may include
20	20	the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
21	21	Disorders, the International Classification of Diseases, and other
22	22	diagnostic classification systems and the use of billing codes in
23	23	connection with those systems for assessment, evaluation,
24	24	classification, treatment, and other activities by a person
25	25	licensed under this chapter, in connection with a claim for payment
26	26	or reimbursement from a health insurance policy issuer or other
27	27	payor.
28	28	(c) The practice of marriage and family therapy does not
29	29	include prescribing medication, treating a physical disease, or
30	30	providing any service outside the scope of practice of a licensed
31	31	marriage and family therapist or licensed marriage and family
32	32	therapist associate.
33	33	SECTION 2. Section 503.003, Occupations Code, is amended by
34	34	adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
35	35	(d) The practice of professional counseling may include the
36	36	use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
37	37	the International Classification of Diseases, and other diagnostic
38	38	classification systems and the use of billing codes in connection
39	39	with those systems for assessment, evaluation, classification,
40	40	treatment, and other activities by a person licensed under this
41	41	chapter, in connection with a claim for payment or reimbursement
42	42	from a health insurance policy issuer or other payor.
43	43	(e) The practice of professional counseling does not
44	44	include prescribing medication, treating a physical disease, or
45	45	providing any service outside the scope of practice of a licensed
46	46	professional counselor.
47	47	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 504, Occupations Code, is
48	48	amended by adding Section 504.0011 to read as follows:
49	49	Sec. 504.0011. PRACTICE OF CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY COUNSELING.
50	50	(a) The practice of chemical dependency counseling may include the
51	51	use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
52	52	the International Classification of Diseases, and other diagnostic
53	53	classification systems and the use of billing codes in connection
54	54	with those systems for assessment, evaluation, classification,
55	55	treatment, and other activities by a person licensed under this
56	56	chapter, in connection with a claim for payment or reimbursement
57	57	from a health insurance policy issuer or other payor.
58	58	(b) The practice of chemical dependency counseling does not
59	59	include prescribing medication, treating a physical disease, or
60	60	providing any service outside the scope of practice of a chemical
61	61	dependency counselor.
62	62	SECTION 4. Section 21.003(b), Education Code, is amended to
63	63	read as follows:
64	64	(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a
65	65	person may not be employed by a school district as an audiologist,
66	66	occupational therapist, physical therapist, physician, nurse,
67	67	school psychologist, associate school psychologist, licensed
68	68	professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, social
69	69	worker, or speech language pathologist unless the person is
70	70	licensed by the state agency that licenses that profession and may
71	71	perform specific services within those professions for a school
72	72	district only if the person holds the appropriate credential from
73	73	the appropriate state agency. As long as a person employed by a
74	74	district before September 1, 2011, to perform marriage and family
75	75	therapy under Chapter 502 [, as defined by Section 502.002],
76	76	Occupations Code, is employed by the same district, the person is
77	77	not required to hold a license as a marriage and family therapist to
78	78	perform marriage and family therapy with that district.
79	79	SECTION 5. Section 502.002(6), Occupations Code, is
80	80	repealed.
81	81	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
82	82	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
83	83	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
84	84	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
85	85	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.