Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1509 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R11014 MM-F
2	2	By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 1509
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to eligibility requirements for the repayment of certain
8	8	mental health professional education loans.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 61.601, Education Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 61.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "mental
13	13	health professional" means:
14	14	(1) a licensed physician who is:
15	15	(A) a graduate of an accredited psychiatric
16	16	residency training program; or
17	17	(B) certified in psychiatry by:
18	18	(i) the American Board of Psychiatry and
19	19	Neurology; or
20	20	(ii) the American Osteopathic Board of
21	21	Neurology and Psychiatry;
22	22	(2) a psychologist, as defined by Section 501.002,
23	23	Occupations Code;
24	24	(3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
25	25	Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
26	26	(4) an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined
27	27	by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a nationally
28	28	recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental health
29	29	nursing; [and]
30	30	(5) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by
31	31	Section 505.002, Occupations Code; and
32	32	(6) a chemical dependency counselor, as defined by
33	33	Section 504.001, Occupations Code.
34	34	SECTION 2. Section 61.603(a), Education Code, is amended to
35	35	read as follows:
36	36	(a) To be eligible to receive repayment assistance under
37	37	this subchapter, a mental health professional must:
38	38	(1) apply to the board;
39	39	(2) have completed [one,] two, three, four, or five
40	40	consecutive years of practice in a mental health professional
41	41	shortage area designated by the Department of State Health
42	42	Services; and
43	43	(3) provide mental health services in this state to:
44	44	(A) recipients under the medical assistance
45	45	program authorized by Chapter 32, Human Resources Code;
46	46	(B) enrollees under the child health plan program
47	47	authorized by Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code; or
48	48	(C) persons committed to a secure correctional
49	49	facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Juvenile
50	50	Justice Department or persons confined in a secure correctional
51	51	facility operated by or under contract with any division of the
52	52	Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
53	53	SECTION 3. Sections 61.607(a) and (b), Education Code, are
54	54	amended to read as follows:
55	55	(a) A mental health professional may receive repayment
56	56	assistance under this subchapter for each consecutive year the
57	57	mental health professional establishes eligibility for the
58	58	assistance in an amount determined by applying the following
59	59	applicable percentage to the maximum total amount of assistance
60	60	allowed for the mental health professional under Subsection (b):
61	61	(1) [for the first year, 10 percent;
62	62	[(2)] for the second year, 25 [15] percent;
63	63	(2) [(3)] for the third year, 20 percent;
64	64	(3) [(4)] for the fourth year, 25 percent; and
65	65	(4) [(5)] for the fifth year, 30 percent.
66	66	(b) The total amount of repayment assistance received by a
67	67	mental health professional under this subchapter may not exceed:
68	68	(1) $160,000, for assistance received by a licensed
69	69	physician;
70	70	(2) $80,000, for assistance received by:
71	71	(A) a psychologist;
72	72	(B) a licensed clinical social worker, if the
73	73	social worker has received a doctoral degree related to social
74	74	work; or
75	75	(C) a licensed professional counselor, if the
76	76	counselor has received a doctoral degree related to counseling;
77	77	(3) $60,000, for assistance received by an advanced
78	78	practice registered nurse; [and]
79	79	(4) $40,000, for assistance received by a licensed
80	80	clinical social worker or a licensed professional counselor who is
81	81	not described by Subdivision (2); and
82	82	(5) $10,000, for assistance received by a licensed
83	83	chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical dependency
84	84	counselor has received an associate degree related to chemical
85	85	dependency counseling or behavioral science.
86	86	SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
87	87	61.603(a) and 61.607(a), Education Code, apply only to a person who
88	88	first establishes eligibility for loan repayment assistance under
89	89	Subchapter K, Chapter 61, Education Code, as amended by this Act, on
90	90	the basis of an application submitted on or after September 1, 2017.
91	91	A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of an
92	92	application submitted before September 1, 2017, is governed by the
93	93	law in effect at the time the application was submitted, and the
94	94	former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
95	95	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.