Bill Text: TX SB1339 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the licensing and practice of psychological associates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-11 - Left pending in committee [SB1339 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1339-Introduced.html
85R7494 EES-F | ||
By: Hinojosa | S.B. No. 1339 |
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relating to the licensing and practice of psychological associates. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 501.259, Occupations Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 501.259. LICENSING OF AND PRACTICE BY PSYCHOLOGICAL | ||
ASSOCIATE. (a) A person may not be licensed as a psychological | ||
associate unless the person: | ||
(1) holds at least a master's degree or its equivalent | ||
in psychology from a regionally accredited institution of higher | ||
education; | ||
(2) completes at least 60 hours of graduate course | ||
work at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in | ||
the professionally accepted foundation areas of psychology, | ||
including scientific and professional ethics and the laws governing | ||
the practice of psychology; | ||
(3) completes at least 6 but not more than 12 semester | ||
hours of practicum, internship, or structured experience as part of | ||
the 60 hours required in Subdivision (2); and | ||
(4) passes: | ||
(A) a nationally recognized qualifying | ||
examination determined to be appropriate by the board; and | ||
(B) a jurisprudence examination administered by | ||
the board [ |
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(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2), a person who begins | ||
graduate course work required under that subdivision at a | ||
regionally accredited institution of higher education before | ||
August 1, 2019, must complete 48 hours of the graduate course work | ||
described by that subdivision to satisfy the requirements of that | ||
subdivision. This subsection expires August 1, 2029. | ||
(c) The board shall designate a person who holds a license | ||
authorized by this section by the [ |
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associate [ |
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(d) A psychological associate who completes at least 3,000 | ||
hours of supervised experience after the date the psychological | ||
associate is licensed to engage in the practice of psychology as a | ||
psychological associate is not required to be supervised by a | ||
psychologist. | ||
(e) For purposes of Subsection (d), experience is | ||
supervised only if the experience is supervised by a psychologist | ||
in the manner provided by the board's supervision guidelines. | ||
(f) This section does not prohibit a psychological | ||
associate who has completed the 3,000 hours of supervised | ||
experience described by Subsection (d) from practicing under the | ||
supervision of a psychologist: | ||
(1) for the purpose of obtaining competency in the | ||
application of new techniques; or | ||
(2) as required by the board in response to a complaint | ||
filed with the board or as part of a disciplinary action taken by | ||
the board. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended | ||
by adding Subsection (ll) to read as follows: | ||
(ll) The executive commissioner shall establish a separate | ||
provider type for psychological associates licensed under Chapter | ||
501, Occupations Code, for purposes of enrollment as a provider for | ||
and reimbursement under the medical assistance program. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 32.027(l), Human Resources Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(l) Subject to appropriations, the commission shall assure | ||
that a recipient of medical assistance under this chapter may | ||
select a licensed psychologist, a licensed psychological | ||
associate, a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined by | ||
Section 502.002, Occupations Code, a licensed professional | ||
counselor, as defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code, or a | ||
licensed master social worker, as defined by Section 505.002, | ||
Occupations Code, to perform any health care service or procedure | ||
covered under the medical assistance program if the selected person | ||
is authorized by law to perform the service or procedure. This | ||
subsection shall be liberally construed. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 1451.001(18), Insurance Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(18) "Psychological associate" means an individual | ||
licensed as a psychological associate by the Texas State Board of | ||
Examiners of Psychologists [ |
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SECTION 5. As soon as practicable, the Texas State Board of | ||
Examiners of Psychologists shall adopt rules necessary to implement | ||
the changes made by this Act. | ||
SECTION 6. (a) A person is entitled to engage in the | ||
practice of psychology as a psychological associate without being | ||
supervised by a psychologist and without fulfilling the educational | ||
and experience requirements prescribed by Section 501.259, | ||
Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, if, before January 1, | ||
2018, the person submits to the Texas State Board of Examiners of | ||
Psychologists proof that the person: | ||
(1) holds at least a master's degree or its equivalent | ||
from an accredited institution of higher education in a program | ||
that is primarily psychological in nature; | ||
(2) is currently licensed in good standing as a | ||
psychological associate in this state; and | ||
(3) has been continuously practicing during the | ||
two-year period preceding the effective date of this Act as: | ||
(A) a licensed psychological associate; | ||
(B) a licensed specialist in school psychology; | ||
(C) a licensed marriage and family therapist; | ||
(D) a licensed professional counselor; or | ||
(E) a licensed social worker. | ||
(b) The Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists may | ||
renew an expired psychological associate license of a person and | ||
authorize the person to engage in the practice of psychology as a | ||
psychological associate without being supervised by a psychologist | ||
and without fulfilling the educational and experience requirements | ||
prescribed by Section 501.259, Occupations Code, as amended by this | ||
Act, if, before January 1, 2018, the person submits to the Texas | ||
State Board of Examiners of Psychologists proof that the person: | ||
(1) holds at least a master's degree or its equivalent | ||
from an accredited institution of higher education in a program | ||
that is primarily psychological in nature; | ||
(2) was licensed as a psychological associate in this | ||
state; and | ||
(3) is currently licensed in good standing in this | ||
state and has been continuously practicing during the two-year | ||
period preceding the effective date of this Act as: | ||
(A) a licensed specialist in school psychology; | ||
(B) a licensed marriage and family therapist; | ||
(C) a licensed professional counselor; or | ||
(D) a licensed social worker. | ||
SECTION 7. The educational requirements prescribed by | ||
Sections 501.259(a) and (b), Occupations Code, as amended by this | ||
Act, apply only to a person who files an initial application for a | ||
psychological associate license on or after the effective date of | ||
this Act. | ||
SECTION 8. If, before implementing any provision of this | ||
Act, a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a | ||
federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, | ||
the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or | ||
authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the | ||
waiver or authorization is granted. | ||
SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |