Bill Text: TX HB1508 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to notice to applicants to and enrollees in certain educational programs regarding the consequences of a criminal conviction on eligibility for an occupational license.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB1508 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1508-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 1508 |
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relating to notice to applicants to and enrollees in certain | ||
educational programs regarding the consequences of a criminal | ||
conviction on eligibility for an occupational license. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 53, Occupations Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter E to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER E. NOTICE OF POTENTIAL INELIGIBILITY FOR LICENSE | ||
Sec. 53.151. DEFINITIONS. Notwithstanding Section 53.001, | ||
in this subchapter, "licensing authority" and "occupational | ||
license" have the meanings assigned to those terms by Section | ||
58.001. | ||
Sec. 53.152. NOTICE BY ENTITIES PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL | ||
PROGRAMS. (a) An entity that provides an educational program to | ||
prepare an individual for issuance of an initial occupational | ||
license shall notify each applicant to and enrollee in the | ||
educational program of: | ||
(1) the potential ineligibility of an individual who | ||
has been convicted of an offense for issuance of an occupational | ||
license on completion of the educational program; | ||
(2) the current guidelines issued under Section 53.025 | ||
by any licensing authority that may issue an occupational license | ||
to an individual who completes the educational program; | ||
(3) any other state or local restriction or guideline | ||
used by a licensing authority described by Subdivision (2) to | ||
determine the eligibility of an individual who has been convicted | ||
of an offense for an occupational license issued by the licensing | ||
authority; and | ||
(4) the right to request a criminal history evaluation | ||
letter under Section 53.102. | ||
(b) The entity shall provide the notice required under | ||
Subsection (a) to each applicant and enrollee regardless of whether | ||
the applicant or enrollee has been convicted of an offense. | ||
Sec. 53.153. REFUND AND ORDERED PAYMENTS. A licensing | ||
authority that determines that an entity regulated by the licensing | ||
authority has failed to provide the notice required by Section | ||
53.152 to an individual entitled to receive the notice and that the | ||
individual's application for an occupational license for which the | ||
entity's educational program prepares the individual was denied | ||
because the individual has been convicted of an offense shall order | ||
the entity to: | ||
(1) refund the amount of any tuition paid by the | ||
individual to the entity; and | ||
(2) pay to the individual an amount equal to the total | ||
of the following, as applicable: | ||
(A) the amount of any application fees paid by | ||
the individual to the licensing authority; and | ||
(B) the amount of any examination fees paid by | ||
the individual to the licensing authority or an examination | ||
provider approved by the licensing authority. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 53.152, Occupations Code, as added by | ||
this Act, applies only with respect to: | ||
(1) an individual who is enrolled in an educational | ||
program subject to that section on or after the effective date of | ||
this Act; and | ||
(2) an applicant for enrollment in an educational | ||
program subject to that section who applies for enrollment in the | ||
program on or after that date. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 1508 was passed by the House on April | ||
13, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 131, Nays 7, 3 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 1508 on May 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 134, Nays 7, | ||
1 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 1508 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |