Zaffirini’s bill adding school counselors to loan repayment

The text as introduced · 1,010 words

89R9783 AND-F

By: Zaffirini
S.B. No. 1849

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, is 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;

(6) a licensed specialist in school psychology, as

defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code;

(7) a school counselor certified under Subchapter B,

Chapter 21;

(8) a chemical dependency counselor, as defined by

Section 504.001, Occupations Code; and

(9) [ (8) ] a licensed marriage and family therapist, as

defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code.

SECTION 2. Section 61.603, Education Code, as amended by

Chapters 678 (H.B. 1211), 705 (H.B. 2100), and 1069 (S.B. 532), Acts

of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.603. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Except as provided by

Subsection (b), 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, or three 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) or (7) 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, or three consecutive

years of practice in this state as described by Subdivisions (2) and

(3).

SECTION 3. Sections 61.604(d) and (e), Education Code, 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(9)

[ 61.601(8) ] 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)-(8)

[ 61.601(1)-(7) ], 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)-(8) [ 61.601(1)-(7) ]. 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 or

certified school counselor described by Section 61.601(7) , 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 , or a certified school counselor described by Section

61.601(7) 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. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to

Sections 61.603 and 61.607, Education Code, apply 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, 2025. A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of

an application submitted before September 1, 2025, is governed by

the law in effect at the time the application was submitted, and the

former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

(b) The changes in law made by this Act to Section 61.604,

Education Code, apply beginning with the state fiscal year

beginning September 1, 2025.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.