By: West S.B. No. 646
(In the Senate - Filed December 18, 2024; February 3, 2025,
read first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16;
April 16, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 10,
Nays 1; April 16, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
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 chemical dependency counselor, as defined by
Section 504.001, Occupations Code; [and]
(8) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code;
(9) a licensed master social worker, as defined by
Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
(10) a person who holds a licensed professional
counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of
Examiners of Professional Counselors;
(11) a licensed marriage and family therapist
associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code; and
(12) a school counselor certified under Subchapter B,
Chapter 21, who has earned at least a master's degree related to
counseling from any public or accredited private institution of
higher education.
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) A mental health professional may also establish
eligibility for the repayment assistance under this subchapter by
satisfying the requirements of this subsection. To establish
eligibility under this subsection, the mental health professional
must:
(1) apply to the board;
(2) provide mental health services to:
(A) patients in a state hospital, as defined by
Section 552.0011, Health and Safety Code; [or]
(B) individuals receiving community-based mental
health services from a local mental health authority that provides
the services in accordance with Subchapter B, Chapter 534, Health
and Safety Code; or
(C) students enrolled in a public school in this
state; and
(3) have completed one, two, or three consecutive
years of practice in this state as described by Subdivision (2).
SECTION 3. Section 61.604(d), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), if in a state fiscal
year not all funds available for purposes of the program are used,
the [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 [award a grant under this
subchapter to a mental health professional described by Section
61.601(8) only in accordance with Subsection (e)].
SECTION 4. Section 61.607, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and
(b-2) to read as follows:
(a) A mental health professional may receive repayment
assistance under this subchapter for each year the mental health
professional establishes eligibility for the assistance in an
amount determined by applying the following applicable percentage
to the [maximum total] amount of assistance allowed for the mental
health professional under Subsection (b):
(1) for the first year, 33.33 percent;
(2) for the second year, 33.33 percent; and
(3) for the third year, 33.33 percent.
(b) Subject to Subsection (b-2), the [The total] amount of
repayment assistance received by a mental health professional under
this subchapter may not exceed:
(1) $180,000 [$160,000], for assistance from the state
received by a licensed physician;
(2) $100,000 [$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, 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) $80,000 [$60,000], for assistance from the state
received by an advanced practice registered nurse;
(4) $60,000 [$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
who is not described by Subdivision (2); [or]
(B) a licensed specialist in school psychology;
(C) a licensed master social worker;
(D) a person who holds a licensed professional
counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of
Examiners of Professional Counselors;
(E) a licensed marriage and family therapist
associate; or
(F) a certified school counselor described by
Section 61.601(12); [and]
(5) $50,000, for assistance from the state received by
a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical
dependency counselor has received within the same 12-month period
the counselor's:
(A) license; and
(B) most recent degree applicable to the
counselor's licensing eligibility requirements; and
(6) $15,000 [$10,000], for assistance from the state
received by a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the
chemical dependency counselor has received at least an associate
degree related to chemical dependency counseling or behavioral
science and if the counselor is not otherwise described by
Subdivision (5).
(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) or (b), a mental
health professional who receives repayment assistance under this
subchapter is eligible to receive repayment assistance in addition
to the amount specified by Subsection (b) as follows:
(1) a one-time amount of $5,000 for a mental health
professional who is fluent in a language of need in the
professional's practice area as determined by the board;
(2) a one-time amount of $10,000 for a mental health
professional who practices in a county with a population of 150,000
or less; and
(3) notwithstanding Section 61.604(a), $15,000 per
year for a mental health professional who practices in the manner
described by Section 61.603 for a fourth and fifth consecutive
year.
(b-2) The total amount of repayment assistance issued to a
mental health professional under Subsections (b) and (b-1) may not
exceed the amount described by Subsection (b) for the applicable
profession plus 10 percent of that amount.
SECTION 5. Section 61.608, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
follows:
(c) The board shall adopt rules establishing a process for
allocating any unused funds under the program in a state fiscal year
in accordance with Section 61.604(d) [61.604(e)].
(f) The board may use funds, in an amount not to exceed $1
million appropriated for purposes of this subchapter, to market the
program to students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, mental
health professionals, and mental health professional organizations
and associations and may contract with a third party for the
purpose. The board or third party may develop marketing plans or
promotional materials to market the program.
SECTION 6. Section 61.604(e), Education Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 7. (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 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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