89R9783 AND-F
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1849
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to repayment of certain mental health professional
education loans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.601, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 61.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "mental
health professional" means:
(1) a licensed physician who is:
(A) a graduate of an accredited psychiatric
residency training program; or
(B) certified in psychiatry by:
(i) the American Board of Psychiatry and
Neurology; or
(ii) the American Osteopathic Board of
Neurology and Psychiatry;
(2) a psychologist, as defined by Section 501.002,
Occupations Code;
(3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
(4) an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined
by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a nationally
recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental health
nursing;
(5) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by
Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
(6) a licensed specialist in school psychology, as
defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code;
(7) a school counselor certified under Subchapter B,
Chapter 21;
(8) a chemical dependency counselor, as defined by
Section 504.001, Occupations Code; and
(9) [(8)] a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code.
SECTION 2. Section 61.603, Education Code, as amended by
Chapters 678 (H.B. 1211), 705 (H.B. 2100), and 1069 (S.B. 532), Acts
of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 61.603. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Except as provided by
Subsection (b), to be eligible to receive repayment assistance
under this subchapter, a mental health professional must:
(1) apply to the board;
(2) have completed one, two, or three consecutive
years of practice in a mental health professional shortage area
designated by the Department of State Health Services; and
(3) provide mental health services in this state to:
(A) recipients under the medical assistance
program authorized by Chapter 32, Human Resources Code;
(B) enrollees under the child health plan program
authorized by Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code; or
(C) persons committed to a secure correctional
facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Juvenile
Justice Department or persons confined in a secure correctional
facility operated by or under contract with any division of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
(b) To be eligible to receive repayment assistance under
this subchapter, a mental health professional described by Section
61.601(6) or (7) must:
(1) apply to the board;
(2) be employed by:
(A) a school district all or part of which is
located in a federally designated mental health care health
professional shortage area;
(B) an open-enrollment charter school that is
located in a shortage area described by Paragraph (A); or
(C) a public school that receives federal funding
under Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.);
(3) provide mental health services to students
enrolled in that district or school, as applicable; and
(4) have completed one, two, or three consecutive
years of practice in this state as described by Subdivisions (2) and
(3).
SECTION 3. Sections 61.604(d) and (e), Education Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(d) The board may award a grant under this subchapter to a
mental health professional described by Section 61.601(9)
[61.601(8)] only in accordance with Subsection (e).
(e) If in a state fiscal year there are funds available for
purposes of the program after funding grants to all eligible mental
health professionals described by Sections 61.601(1)-(8)
[61.601(1)-(7)], the board may allocate any unused funds to award
repayment assistance grants to mental health professionals in any
of the professions listed in Section 61.601 except that priority
must be given to awarding grants to mental health professionals
described by Sections 61.601(1)-(8) [61.601(1)-(7)]. The
limitations prescribed by Subsections (b) and (c) do not apply to
grants awarded under this subsection.
SECTION 4. Section 61.607(b), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The total amount of repayment assistance received by a
mental health professional under this subchapter may not exceed:
(1) $160,000, for assistance from the state received
by a licensed physician;
(2) $80,000, for assistance from the state received
by:
(A) a psychologist;
(B) a licensed clinical social worker, if the
social worker has received a doctoral degree related to social
work;
(C) a licensed professional counselor or
certified school counselor described by Section 61.601(7), if the
counselor has received a doctoral degree related to counseling; or
(D) a licensed marriage and family therapist, if
the marriage and family therapist has received a doctoral degree
related to marriage and family therapy;
(3) $60,000, for assistance from the state received by
an advanced practice registered nurse;
(4) $40,000, for assistance from the state received
by:
(A) a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed
marriage and family therapist, [or] a licensed professional
counselor, or a certified school counselor described by Section
61.601(7) who is not described by Subdivision (2); or
(B) a licensed specialist in school psychology;
and
(5) $10,000, for assistance from the state received by
a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical
dependency counselor has received an associate degree related to
chemical dependency counseling or behavioral science.
SECTION 5. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to
Sections 61.603 and 61.607, Education Code, apply only to a person
who first establishes eligibility for loan repayment assistance
under Subchapter K, Chapter 61, Education Code, as amended by this
Act, on the basis of an application submitted on or after September
1, 2025. A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of
an application submitted before September 1, 2025, is governed by
the law in effect at the time the application was submitted, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
(b) The changes in law made by this Act to Section 61.604,
Education Code, apply beginning with the state fiscal year
beginning September 1, 2025.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.