Bill Text: TX HB2304 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to educational requirements for licensing as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist and to reciprocity for audiologists licensed in other states.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-10 - Referred to Public Health [HB2304 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2304-Introduced.html
82R5660 MAW-D | ||
By: Alvarado | H.B. No. 2304 |
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relating to educational requirements for licensing as a | ||
speech-language pathologist or audiologist and to reciprocity for | ||
audiologists licensed in other states. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 401.304(a), Occupations Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) To be eligible for licensing as a speech-language | ||
pathologist or audiologist, an applicant must: | ||
(1) if the application is for a license in: | ||
(A) speech-language pathology, possess at least | ||
a master's degree with a major in at least one of the areas of | ||
communicative sciences or disorders from a program accredited by a | ||
national accrediting organization approved by the board [ |
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approved college or university; or | ||
(B) audiology, possess at least a doctoral degree | ||
in audiology from a program accredited by a national accrediting | ||
organization approved by the board in an accredited or approved | ||
college or university; | ||
(2) submit a transcript from a public or private | ||
institution of higher learning showing successful completion of | ||
course work in amounts set by the board in: | ||
(A) normal development and use of speech, | ||
language, and hearing; | ||
(B) evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation | ||
of speech, language, and hearing disorders; and | ||
(C) related fields that augment the work of | ||
clinical practitioners of speech-language pathology and audiology; | ||
(3) have successfully completed at least 36 semester | ||
hours in courses that are acceptable toward a graduate degree by the | ||
college or university in which the courses are taken, at least 24 of | ||
which must be in the professional area for which the license is | ||
requested and at least six of which must be: | ||
(A) in audiology if the application is for a | ||
speech-language pathology license; or | ||
(B) in speech-language pathology if the | ||
application is for an audiology license; | ||
(4) have completed the minimum number of hours, | ||
established by the board, of supervised clinical experience with | ||
persons who present a variety of communication disorders; and | ||
(5) have completed the full-time supervised | ||
professional experience, as defined by board rule, in which | ||
clinical work has been accomplished in the major professional area | ||
for which the license is being sought. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 401, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 401.3081 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 401.3081. AUDIOLOGIST LICENSED IN ANOTHER | ||
JURISDICTION. (a) The board may waive any prerequisite to | ||
obtaining a license for an applicant for licensing as an | ||
audiologist after reviewing the applicant's credentials and | ||
determining that the applicant holds a license issued by another | ||
jurisdiction that has licensing requirements substantially | ||
equivalent to those of this state. | ||
(b) The board may waive any prerequisite to obtaining a | ||
license for an applicant for licensing as an audiologist who holds a | ||
license issued by another jurisdiction with which this state has a | ||
reciprocity agreement. The board may make an agreement, subject to | ||
the approval of the governor, with another state to allow for | ||
licensing by reciprocity. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 401.304, Occupations Code, as amended by | ||
this Act, applies only to a person who applies for a speech-language | ||
pathologist or audiologist license on or after the effective date | ||
of this Act. A person who applies for a license before that date is | ||
governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date | ||
of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |