Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB469 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R493 KKR-F
2	2	By: Sparks S.B. No. 469
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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, including a service or procedure performed at a
30	30	federally qualified health center as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section
31	31	1396d(l)(2)(B), if the selected person is licensed and authorized
32	32	by law to perform the service or procedure:
33	33	(1) a licensed marriage and family therapist
34	34	associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code, who is
35	35	working toward fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to
36	36	be licensed as a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined
37	37	by that section;
38	38	(2) a licensed master social worker, as defined by
39	39	Section 505.002, Occupations Code, who is actively pursuing the
40	40	education and training required to be licensed as a licensed
41	41	clinical social worker, as defined by that section; or
42	42	(3) a licensed professional counselor associate, as
43	43	described by 22 T.A.C. Chapter 681, who is working toward
44	44	fulfilling the supervised practice requirements to be licensed as a
45	45	licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002,
46	46	Occupations Code.
47	47	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
48	48	is amended by adding Section 32.079 to read as follows:
49	49	Sec. 32.079. REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN COUNSELING
50	50	SERVICES. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), the commission shall
51	51	provide reimbursement under the medical assistance program to a
52	52	provider described by Section 32.027(m) who is selected by a
53	53	recipient of medical assistance and who provides a service or
54	54	procedure covered under the medical assistance program that the
55	55	provider is authorized by law to perform. The commission shall
56	56	ensure that the provider is reimbursed at a rate equal to 50 percent
57	57	of the reimbursement rate established for a licensed psychiatrist
58	58	or licensed psychologist for providing similar services.
59	59	(b) The commission shall ensure that reimbursement provided
60	60	to a provider under Subsection (a) is limited to not more than 3,000
61	61	hours or, if applicable, the number of hours of clinical practice or
62	62	other experience the provider is required to complete to qualify
63	63	for the applicable license.
64	64	(c) This section shall be liberally construed.
65	65	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
66	66	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
67	67	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
68	68	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
69	69	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
70	70	waiver or authorization is granted.
71	71	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.