Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB646 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: West, et al. S.B. No. 646
	1	+	By: West S.B. No. 646
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed December 18, 2024; February 3, 2025,
	3	+	read first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16;
	4	+	April 16, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 10,
	5	+	Nays 1; April 16, 2025, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
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6	11		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	12		AN ACT
8	13		relating to repayment of certain mental health professional
9	14		education loans.
10	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	16		SECTION 1. Section 61.601, Education Code, is amended to
12	17		read as follows:
13	18		Sec. 61.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "mental
14	19		health professional" means:
15	20		(1) a licensed physician who is:
16	21		(A) a graduate of an accredited psychiatric
17	22		residency training program; or
18	23		(B) certified in psychiatry by:
19	24		(i) the American Board of Psychiatry and
20	25		Neurology; or
21	26		(ii) the American Osteopathic Board of
22	27		Neurology and Psychiatry;
23	28		(2) a psychologist, as defined by Section 501.002,
24	29		Occupations Code;
25	30		(3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
26	31		Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
27	32		(4) an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined
28	33		by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a nationally
29	34		recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental health
30	35		nursing;
31	36		(5) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by
32	37		Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
33	38		(6) a licensed specialist in school psychology, as
34	39		defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code;
35	40		(7) a chemical dependency counselor, as defined by
36	41		Section 504.001, Occupations Code; [and]
37	42		(8) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
38	43		defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code;
39	44		(9) a licensed master social worker, as defined by
40	45		Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
41	46		(10) a person who holds a licensed professional
42	47		counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of
43	48		Examiners of Professional Counselors;
44	49		(11) a licensed marriage and family therapist
45	50		associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code; and
46	51		(12) a school counselor certified under Subchapter B,
47	52		Chapter 21, who has earned at least a master's degree related to
48	53		counseling from any public or accredited private institution of
49	54		higher education.
50	55		SECTION 2. Section 61.603, Education Code, as amended by
51	56		Chapters 678 (H.B. 1211), 705 (H.B. 2100), and 1069 (S.B. 532), Acts
52	57		of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and
53	58		amended to read as follows:
54	59		Sec. 61.603. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Except as provided by
55	60		Subsection (b), to be eligible to receive repayment assistance
56	61		under this subchapter, a mental health professional must:
57	62		(1) apply to the board;
58	63		(2) have completed one, two, or three consecutive
59	64		years of practice in a mental health professional shortage area
60	65		designated by the Department of State Health Services; and
61	66		(3) provide mental health services in this state to:
62	67		(A) recipients under the medical assistance
63	68		program authorized by Chapter 32, Human Resources Code;
64	69		(B) enrollees under the child health plan program
65	70		authorized by Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code; or
66	71		(C) persons committed to a secure correctional
67	72		facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Juvenile
68	73		Justice Department or persons confined in a secure correctional
69	74		facility operated by or under contract with any division of the
70	75		Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
71	76		(b) A mental health professional may also establish
72	77		eligibility for the repayment assistance under this subchapter by
73	78		satisfying the requirements of this subsection. To establish
74	79		eligibility under this subsection, the mental health professional
75	80		must:
76	81		(1) apply to the board;
77	82		(2) provide mental health services to:
78	83		(A) patients in a state hospital, as defined by
79	84		Section 552.0011, Health and Safety Code; [or]
80	85		(B) individuals receiving community-based mental
81	86		health services from a local mental health authority that provides
82	87		the services in accordance with Subchapter B, Chapter 534, Health
83	88		and Safety Code; or
84	89		(C) students enrolled in a public school in this
85	90		state; and
86	91		(3) have completed one, two, or three consecutive
87	92		years of practice in this state as described by Subdivision (2).
88	93		SECTION 3. Section 61.604(d), Education Code, is amended to
89	94		read as follows:
90	95		(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), if in a state fiscal
91	96		year not all funds available for purposes of the program are used,
92	97		the [The] board may allocate any unused funds to award repayment
93	98		assistance grants to mental health professionals in any of the
94	99		professions listed in Section 61.601 [award a grant under this
95	100		subchapter to a mental health professional described by Section
96	101		61.601(8) only in accordance with Subsection (e)].
97	102		SECTION 4. Section 61.607, Education Code, is amended by
98	103		amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and
99	104		(b-2) to read as follows:
100	105		(a) A mental health professional may receive repayment
101	106		assistance under this subchapter for each year the mental health
102	107		professional establishes eligibility for the assistance in an
103	108		amount determined by applying the following applicable percentage
104	109		to the [maximum total] amount of assistance allowed for the mental
105	110		health professional under Subsection (b):
106	111		(1) for the first year, 33.33 percent;
107	112		(2) for the second year, 33.33 percent; and
108	113		(3) for the third year, 33.33 percent.
109	114		(b) Subject to Subsection (b-2), the [The total] amount of
110	115		repayment assistance received by a mental health professional under
111	116		this subchapter may not exceed:
112	117		(1) $180,000 [$160,000], for assistance from the state
113	118		received by a licensed physician;
114	119		(2) $100,000 [$80,000], for assistance from the state
115	120		received by:
116	121		(A) a psychologist;
117	122		(B) a licensed clinical social worker, if the
118	123		social worker has received a doctoral degree related to social
119	124		work;
120	125		(C) a licensed professional counselor, if the
121	126		counselor has received a doctoral degree related to counseling; or
122	127		(D) a licensed marriage and family therapist, if
123	128		the marriage and family therapist has received a doctoral degree
124	129		related to marriage and family therapy;
125	130		(3) $80,000 [$60,000], for assistance from the state
126	131		received by an advanced practice registered nurse;
127	132		(4) $60,000 [$40,000], for assistance from the state
128	133		received by:
129	134		(A) a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed
130	135		marriage and family therapist, or a licensed professional counselor
131	136		who is not described by Subdivision (2); [or]
132	137		(B) a licensed specialist in school psychology;
133	138		(C) a licensed master social worker;
134	139		(D) a person who holds a licensed professional
135	140		counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of
136	141		Examiners of Professional Counselors;
137	142		(E) a licensed marriage and family therapist
138	143		associate; or
139	144		(F) a certified school counselor described by
140	145		Section 61.601(12); [and]
141	146		(5) $50,000, for assistance from the state received by
142	147		a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical
143	148		dependency counselor has received within the same 12-month period
144	149		the counselor's:
145	150		(A) license; and
146	151		(B) most recent degree applicable to the
147	152		counselor's licensing eligibility requirements; and
148	153		(6) $15,000 [$10,000], for assistance from the state
149	154		received by a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the
150	155		chemical dependency counselor has received at least an associate
151	156		degree related to chemical dependency counseling or behavioral
152	157		science and if the counselor is not otherwise described by
153	158		Subdivision (5).
154	159		(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) or (b), a mental
155	160		health professional who receives repayment assistance under this
156	161		subchapter is eligible to receive repayment assistance in addition
157	162		to the amount specified by Subsection (b) as follows:
158	163		(1) a one-time amount of $5,000 for a mental health
159	164		professional who is fluent in a language of need in the
160	165		professional's practice area as determined by the board;
161	166		(2) a one-time amount of $10,000 for a mental health
162	167		professional who practices in a county with a population of 150,000
163	168		or less; and
164	169		(3) notwithstanding Section 61.604(a), $15,000 per
165	170		year for a mental health professional who practices in the manner
166	171		described by Section 61.603 for a fourth and fifth consecutive
167	172		year.
168	173		(b-2) The total amount of repayment assistance issued to a
169	174		mental health professional under Subsections (b) and (b-1) may not
170	175		exceed the amount described by Subsection (b) for the applicable
171	176		profession plus 10 percent of that amount.
172	177		SECTION 5. Section 61.608, Education Code, is amended by
173	178		amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
174	179		follows:
175	180		(c) The board shall adopt rules establishing a process for
176	181		allocating any unused funds under the program in a state fiscal year
177	182		in accordance with Section 61.604(d) [61.604(e)].
178	183		(f) The board may use funds, in an amount not to exceed $1
179	184		million appropriated for purposes of this subchapter, to market the
180	185		program to students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, mental
181	186		health professionals, and mental health professional organizations
182	187		and associations and may contract with a third party for the
183	188		purpose. The board or third party may develop marketing plans or
184	189		promotional materials to market the program.
185	190		SECTION 6. Section 61.604(e), Education Code, is
186	191		repealed.
187	192		SECTION 7. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to
188	193		Sections 61.603 and 61.607, Education Code, apply only to a person
189	194		who first establishes eligibility for loan repayment assistance
190	195		under Subchapter K, Chapter 61, Education Code, as amended by this
191	196		Act, on the basis of an application submitted on or after September
192	197		1, 2025. A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of
193	198		an application submitted before September 1, 2025, is governed by
194	199		the law in effect at the time the application was submitted, and the
195	200		former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
196	201		(b) The changes in law made by this Act to Section 61.604,
197	202		Education Code, apply beginning with the state fiscal year
198	203		beginning September 1, 2025.
199	204		SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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