Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2088 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R386 KKR-D
2	2	By: Miles S.B. No. 2088
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the provision of counseling services by certain
10	10	providers under Medicaid and reimbursement for those services.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 32.027, Human Resources Code, is amended
13	13	by amending Subsection (l) and adding Subsection (m) to read as
14	14	follows:
15	15	(l) Subject to appropriations, the commission shall assure
16	16	that a recipient of medical assistance under this chapter may
17	17	select a licensed psychologist, a licensed marriage and family
18	18	therapist, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, a
19	19	licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002,
20	20	Occupations Code, or a licensed clinical [master] social worker, as
21	21	defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code, to perform any health
22	22	care service or procedure covered under the medical assistance
23	23	program if the selected person is authorized by law to perform the
24	24	service or procedure. This subsection shall be liberally
25	25	construed.
26	26	(m) The commission shall assure that a recipient of medical
27	27	assistance under this chapter may select the following to perform
28	28	any health care service or procedure covered under the medical
29	29	assistance program if the selected person is licensed and
30	30	authorized by law to perform the service or procedure:
31	31	(1) a licensed marriage and family therapist
32	32	associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, who is
33	33	working toward fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to
34	34	be licensed as a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined
35	35	by that section;
36	36	(2) a licensed master social worker, as defined by
37	37	Section 505.002, Occupations Code, who is actively pursuing the
38	38	education and training required to be licensed as a licensed
39	39	clinical social worker, as defined by that section; or
40	40	(3) a licensed professional counselor associate, as
41	41	described by 22 T.A.C. Chapter 681, who is working toward
42	42	fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to be licensed as a
43	43	licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002,
44	44	Occupations Code.
45	45	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
46	46	is amended by adding Section 32.079 to read as follows:
47	47	Sec. 32.079. REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN COUNSELING
48	48	SERVICES. (a) The commission shall provide reimbursement under
49	49	the medical assistance program to a provider described by Section
50	50	32.027(l) who is a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed
51	51	professional counselor, or licensed clinical social worker, is
52	52	selected by a recipient of medical assistance, and provides
53	53	counseling services covered under the medical assistance program
54	54	that the provider is authorized by law to perform. The commission
55	55	shall ensure that the provider is reimbursed at a rate equal to the
56	56	reimbursement rate established for a licensed psychiatrist or
57	57	licensed psychologist for providing similar services.
58	58	(b) The commission shall provide reimbursement under the
59	59	medical assistance program to a provider described by Section
60	60	32.027(m) who is selected by a recipient of medical assistance and
61	61	who provides counseling services covered under the medical
62	62	assistance program that the provider is authorized by law to
63	63	perform. The commission shall ensure that the provider is
64	64	reimbursed at a rate equal to 70 percent of the reimbursement rate
65	65	established for a licensed psychiatrist or licensed psychologist
66	66	for providing similar services.
67	67	(c) This section shall be liberally construed.
68	68	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
69	69	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
70	70	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
71	71	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
72	72	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
73	73	waiver or authorization is granted.
74	74	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.