Bill Text: TX HB1211 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to financial assistance, including repayment of loans, for certain students attending postsecondary educational institutions.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-12 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB1211 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB1211-Introduced.html

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88R798 MM-F
By: Guillen H.B. No. 1211

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, as amended by
Chapters 891 (H.B. 3083) and 1101 (H.B. 3808), Acts of the 85th
Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is reenacted and 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; [and]
(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) [(6)] a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code.
SECTION 2. Section 61.603, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 61.603. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Except as provided by
Subsection (b), to [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, three, four, or five
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) 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, three, four, or five
consecutive years of practice in this state as described by
Subdivisions (2) and (3).
(c) In addition to satisfying the requirements under
Subsection (a), for a licensed physician to be eligible to receive
repayment assistance under this subchapter after the physician's
third consecutive year of practice described under Subsection
(a)(2), the physician must be certified in psychiatry by:
(1) the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; or
(2) the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and
Psychiatry.
SECTION 3. Sections 61.604(d) and (e), Education Code, as
added by Chapter 1101 (H.B. 3808), Acts of the 85th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2017, 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(8)
[61.601(6)] 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)-(7)
[Subsections 61.601(1)-(5)], 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)-(7)
[Subsections 61.601(1)-(5)]. 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, 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
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. The following provisions are repealed:
(1) Section 61.604(d), Education Code, as added by
Chapter 891 (H.B. 3083), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2017; and
(2) Section 61.608(c), Education Code, as added by
Chapter 891 (H.B. 3083), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2017.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.