| 1 | 1 | | 89R11394 KRM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Button H.B. No. 2598 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a school psychologist licensed under the Occupations |
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| 10 | 10 | | Code. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 38.303(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 13 | 13 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) The task force is composed of: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) the following additional members appointed by the |
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| 17 | 17 | | commissioner: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (A) three parents of students who are enrolled in |
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| 19 | 19 | | school districts or open-enrollment charter schools and receive the |
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| 20 | 20 | | mental health services described by Section 38.302(1); |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) one person who provides the mental health |
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| 22 | 22 | | services described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described |
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| 23 | 23 | | by Section 38.302(2) and who is: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (i) a licensed professional counselor, as |
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| 25 | 25 | | defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (ii) a licensed clinical social worker, as |
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| 27 | 27 | | defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (iii) a school counselor certified under |
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| 29 | 29 | | Subchapter B, Chapter 21; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (C) one person who is a psychiatrist; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (D) two persons who are administrators of |
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| 32 | 32 | | districts or schools that provide the mental health services |
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| 33 | 33 | | described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described by Section |
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| 34 | 34 | | 38.302(2); |
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| 35 | 35 | | (E) one person who is a member of a foundation |
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| 36 | 36 | | that invests in the mental health services described by Section |
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| 37 | 37 | | 38.302(1) or the training described by Section 38.302(2); |
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| 38 | 38 | | (F) one person who is an employee of an |
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| 39 | 39 | | institution of higher education designated under Section 38.307; |
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| 40 | 40 | | and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (G) one person who is a [licensed specialist in] |
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| 42 | 42 | | school psychologist [psychology], as defined by Section 501.002, |
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| 43 | 43 | | Occupations Code; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (3) for any other entity the task force considers |
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| 45 | 45 | | necessary, one person appointed by the task force for each such |
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| 46 | 46 | | entity. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. Section 548.0203(a), Government Code, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (a) In this section, "health professional" means an |
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| 50 | 50 | | individual who is: |
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| 51 | 51 | | (1) licensed, registered, certified, or otherwise |
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| 52 | 52 | | authorized by this state to practice as a social worker, |
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| 53 | 53 | | occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (2) a licensed professional counselor; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (3) a licensed marriage and family therapist; or |
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| 56 | 56 | | (4) a [licensed specialist in] school psychologist, as |
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| 57 | 57 | | defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code [psychology]. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 3. Section 501.002(2), Occupations Code, is amended |
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| 59 | 59 | | to read as follows: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) "School psychologist" ["Licensed specialist in |
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| 61 | 61 | | school psychology"] means a person who holds a license to engage in |
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| 62 | 62 | | the practice of psychology under Section 501.260. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 4. Section 501.051(a-1), Occupations Code, is |
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| 64 | 64 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 65 | 65 | | (a-1) One of the members appointed under Subsection (a)(1) |
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| 66 | 66 | | or (a)(2) must practice as a [licensed specialist in] school |
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| 67 | 67 | | psychologist [psychology] under Section 501.260. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 5. The heading to Section 501.260, Occupations |
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| 69 | 69 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 70 | 70 | | Sec. 501.260. [LICENSED SPECIALIST IN] SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST |
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| 71 | 71 | | [PSYCHOLOGY]. |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 6. Sections 501.260(a) and (c), Occupations Code, |
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| 73 | 73 | | are amended to read as follows: |
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| 74 | 74 | | (a) The executive council by rule shall issue a license to a |
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| 75 | 75 | | [licensed specialist in] school psychologist [psychology]. A |
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| 76 | 76 | | license issued under this section constitutes the appropriate |
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| 77 | 77 | | credential for a person who provides psychological services as |
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| 78 | 78 | | required by Section 21.003(b), Education Code. |
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| 79 | 79 | | (c) The rules of practice for a [licensed specialist in] |
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| 80 | 80 | | school psychologist [psychology] must comply with nationally |
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| 81 | 81 | | recognized standards for the practice of school psychology. |
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| 82 | 82 | | SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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