| 1 | 1 | | 88R13115 AMF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ramos H.B. No. 4200 |
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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 the provision of services by nonphysician mental health |
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| 8 | 8 | | professionals at school districts. |
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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 38.0101, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 38.0101. [AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY OR CONTRACT WITH] |
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| 13 | 13 | | NONPHYSICIAN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS [PROFESSIONAL]. (a) A |
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| 14 | 14 | | school district shall [may] employ or contract with one or more |
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| 15 | 15 | | nonphysician mental health professionals to provide services at |
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| 16 | 16 | | each district campus. A school district must provide at least one |
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| 17 | 17 | | nonphysician mental health professional for every 600 students at |
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| 18 | 18 | | each campus. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) A nonphysician mental health professional providing |
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| 20 | 20 | | services under this section shall implement a comprehensive mental |
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| 21 | 21 | | health program for the campus the professional serves and spend at |
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| 22 | 22 | | least 80 percent of the professional's total work time providing |
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| 23 | 23 | | direct or indirect mental health services to students. The |
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| 24 | 24 | | commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to administer this |
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| 25 | 25 | | subsection. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) In this section, "nonphysician mental health |
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| 27 | 27 | | professional" means: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) a psychologist licensed to practice in this state |
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| 29 | 29 | | and designated as a health-service provider; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) a registered nurse with a master's or doctoral |
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| 31 | 31 | | degree in psychiatric nursing; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) a licensed clinical social worker; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) a professional counselor licensed to practice in |
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| 34 | 34 | | this state; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) a marriage and family therapist licensed to |
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| 36 | 36 | | practice in this state. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) Each school district must demonstrate to the agency |
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| 38 | 38 | | compliance with this section not later than August 1, 2025. This |
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| 39 | 39 | | subsection expires August 1, 2026. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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