| 1 | 1 | | 88R3960 ANG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lozano H.B. No. 1249 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to continuing education requirements for public school |
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| 8 | 8 | | counselors. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 21.054(f), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (f) Continuing education requirements for a counselor must |
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| 13 | 13 | | [provide that not more than 25 percent of training required every |
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| 14 | 14 | | five years] include instruction regarding: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) assisting students in developing high school |
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| 16 | 16 | | graduation plans; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) implementing dropout prevention strategies; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (3) informing students concerning: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) college admissions, including college |
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| 20 | 20 | | financial aid resources and application procedures; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) career opportunities; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (4) counseling students concerning mental health |
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| 23 | 23 | | conditions and substance abuse, including through the use of |
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| 24 | 24 | | grief-informed and trauma-informed interventions and crisis |
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| 25 | 25 | | management and suicide prevention strategies; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (5) effective implementation of a comprehensive |
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| 27 | 27 | | school counseling program under Section 33.005. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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| 29 | 29 | | school year. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 31 | 31 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 32 | 32 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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