Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1339 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R7494 EES-F
2	2	By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 1339
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the licensing and practice of psychological associates.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 501.259, Occupations Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 501.259. LICENSING OF AND PRACTICE BY PSYCHOLOGICAL
12	12	ASSOCIATE. (a) A person may not be licensed as a psychological
13	13	associate unless the person:
14	14	(1) holds at least a master's degree or its equivalent
15	15	in psychology from a regionally accredited institution of higher
16	16	education;
17	17	(2) completes at least 60 hours of graduate course
18	18	work at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in
19	19	the professionally accepted foundation areas of psychology,
20	20	including scientific and professional ethics and the laws governing
21	21	the practice of psychology;
22	22	(3) completes at least 6 but not more than 12 semester
23	23	hours of practicum, internship, or structured experience as part of
24	24	the 60 hours required in Subdivision (2); and
25	25	(4) passes:
26	26	(A) a nationally recognized qualifying
27	27	examination determined to be appropriate by the board; and
28	28	(B) a jurisprudence examination administered by
29	29	the board [The board shall set standards for the issuance of
30	30	licenses to psychological personnel who hold a master's degree from
31	31	an accredited university or college in a program that is primarily
32	32	psychological in nature].
33	33	(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2), a person who begins
34	34	graduate course work required under that subdivision at a
35	35	regionally accredited institution of higher education before
36	36	August 1, 2019, must complete 48 hours of the graduate course work
37	37	described by that subdivision to satisfy the requirements of that
38	38	subdivision. This subsection expires August 1, 2029.
39	39	(c) The board shall designate a person who holds a license
40	40	authorized by this section by the [a] title "psychological
41	41	associate [that includes the adjective "psychological" followed by
42	42	a noun such as "associate," "assistant," "examiner," or
43	43	"technician]."
44	44	(d) A psychological associate who completes at least 3,000
45	45	hours of supervised experience after the date the psychological
46	46	associate is licensed to engage in the practice of psychology as a
47	47	psychological associate is not required to be supervised by a
48	48	psychologist.
49	49	(e) For purposes of Subsection (d), experience is
50	50	supervised only if the experience is supervised by a psychologist
51	51	in the manner provided by the board's supervision guidelines.
52	52	(f) This section does not prohibit a psychological
53	53	associate who has completed the 3,000 hours of supervised
54	54	experience described by Subsection (d) from practicing under the
55	55	supervision of a psychologist:
56	56	(1) for the purpose of obtaining competency in the
57	57	application of new techniques; or
58	58	(2) as required by the board in response to a complaint
59	59	filed with the board or as part of a disciplinary action taken by
60	60	the board.
61	61	SECTION 2. Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended
62	62	by adding Subsection (ll) to read as follows:
63	63	(ll) The executive commissioner shall establish a separate
64	64	provider type for psychological associates licensed under Chapter
65	65	501, Occupations Code, for purposes of enrollment as a provider for
66	66	and reimbursement under the medical assistance program.
67	67	SECTION 3. Section 32.027(l), Human Resources Code, is
68	68	amended to read as follows:
69	69	(l) Subject to appropriations, the commission shall assure
70	70	that a recipient of medical assistance under this chapter may
71	71	select a licensed psychologist, a licensed psychological
72	72	associate, a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined by
73	73	Section 502.002, Occupations Code, a licensed professional
74	74	counselor, as defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code, or a
75	75	licensed master social worker, as defined by Section 505.002,
76	76	Occupations Code, to perform any health care service or procedure
77	77	covered under the medical assistance program if the selected person
78	78	is authorized by law to perform the service or procedure. This
79	79	subsection shall be liberally construed.
80	80	SECTION 4. Section 1451.001(18), Insurance Code, is amended
81	81	to read as follows:
82	82	(18) "Psychological associate" means an individual
83	83	licensed as a psychological associate by the Texas State Board of
84	84	Examiners of Psychologists [who practices solely under the
85	85	supervision of a licensed psychologist].
86	86	SECTION 5. As soon as practicable, the Texas State Board of
87	87	Examiners of Psychologists shall adopt rules necessary to implement
88	88	the changes made by this Act.
89	89	SECTION 6. (a) A person is entitled to engage in the
90	90	practice of psychology as a psychological associate without being
91	91	supervised by a psychologist and without fulfilling the educational
92	92	and experience requirements prescribed by Section 501.259,
93	93	Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, if, before January 1,
94	94	2018, the person submits to the Texas State Board of Examiners of
95	95	Psychologists proof that the person:
96	96	(1) holds at least a master's degree or its equivalent
97	97	from an accredited institution of higher education in a program
98	98	that is primarily psychological in nature;
99	99	(2) is currently licensed in good standing as a
100	100	psychological associate in this state; and
101	101	(3) has been continuously practicing during the
102	102	two-year period preceding the effective date of this Act as:
103	103	(A) a licensed psychological associate;
104	104	(B) a licensed specialist in school psychology;
105	105	(C) a licensed marriage and family therapist;
106	106	(D) a licensed professional counselor; or
107	107	(E) a licensed social worker.
108	108	(b) The Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists may
109	109	renew an expired psychological associate license of a person and
110	110	authorize the person to engage in the practice of psychology as a
111	111	psychological associate without being supervised by a psychologist
112	112	and without fulfilling the educational and experience requirements
113	113	prescribed by Section 501.259, Occupations Code, as amended by this
114	114	Act, if, before January 1, 2018, the person submits to the Texas
115	115	State Board of Examiners of Psychologists proof that the person:
116	116	(1) holds at least a master's degree or its equivalent
117	117	from an accredited institution of higher education in a program
118	118	that is primarily psychological in nature;
119	119	(2) was licensed as a psychological associate in this
120	120	state; and
121	121	(3) is currently licensed in good standing in this
122	122	state and has been continuously practicing during the two-year
123	123	period preceding the effective date of this Act as:
124	124	(A) a licensed specialist in school psychology;
125	125	(B) a licensed marriage and family therapist;
126	126	(C) a licensed professional counselor; or
127	127	(D) a licensed social worker.
128	128	SECTION 7. The educational requirements prescribed by
129	129	Sections 501.259(a) and (b), Occupations Code, as amended by this
130	130	Act, apply only to a person who files an initial application for a
131	131	psychological associate license on or after the effective date of
132	132	this Act.
133	133	SECTION 8. If, before implementing any provision of this
134	134	Act, a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
135	135	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
136	136	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
137	137	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
138	138	waiver or authorization is granted.
139	139	SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.