Bill Text: TX HB955 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to eligibility requirements for student loan repayment assistance for certain mental health professionals.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-25 - Referred to Public Health [HB955 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB955-Introduced.html
86R3062 MM-D | ||
By: Thompson of Harris | H.B. No. 955 |
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relating to eligibility requirements for student loan repayment | ||
assistance for certain mental health professionals. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 61.603, Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 61.603. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Except as provided by | ||
Subsection (b), to [ |
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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(1) who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of | ||
psychiatric and associated behavioral health issues affecting | ||
children must: | ||
(1) apply to the board; | ||
(2) provide mental health services to children in this | ||
state; and | ||
(3) have completed one, two, three, four, or five | ||
consecutive years of practice in this state as described by | ||
Subdivision (2), including a practice that consists solely of the | ||
remote diagnosis and treatment of children. | ||
(c) In addition to satisfying the requirements under | ||
Subsection (a) or (b), as applicable, 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) or (b), as applicable, 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 2. The change in law made by this Act to Section | ||
61.603, Education Code, applies 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, 2019. | ||
A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of an | ||
application submitted before September 1, 2019, is governed by the | ||
law in effect on the date the application was submitted, and the | ||
former law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |