West’s bill expands loan repayment for mental health professionals

The text as introduced · 1,492 words

89R2374 MM-D

By: West
S.B. No. 646

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 chemical dependency counselor, as defined by

Section 504.001, Occupations Code; [ and ]

(8) a licensed marriage and family therapist, as

defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code ;

(9) a licensed master social worker, as defined by

Section 505.002, Occupations Code;

(10) a person who holds a licensed professional

counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of

Examiners of Professional Counselors;

(11) a licensed marriage and family therapist

associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code; and

(12) a school counselor certified under Subchapter B,

Chapter 21, who has earned at least a master's degree related to

counseling from any public or accredited private institution of

higher education .

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) A mental health professional may also establish

eligibility for the repayment assistance under this subchapter by

satisfying the requirements of this subsection. To establish

eligibility under this subsection, the mental health professional

must:

(1) apply to the board;

(2) provide mental health services to:

(A) patients in a state hospital, as defined by

Section 552.0011, Health and Safety Code; [ or ]

(B) individuals receiving community-based mental

health services from a local mental health authority that provides

the services in accordance with Subchapter B, Chapter 534, Health

and Safety Code; or

(C) students enrolled in a public school in this

state; and

(3) have completed one, two, or three consecutive

years of practice in this state as described by Subdivision (2).

SECTION 3. Section 61.604(d), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), if in a state fiscal

year not all funds available for purposes of the program are used,

the [ 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 [ award a grant under this

subchapter to a mental health professional described by Section

61.601(8) only in accordance with Subsection (e) ].

SECTION 4. Section 61.607, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and

(b-2) to read as follows:

(a) A mental health professional may receive repayment

assistance under this subchapter for each year the mental health

professional establishes eligibility for the assistance in an

amount determined by applying the following applicable percentage

to the [ maximum total ] amount of assistance allowed for the mental

health professional under Subsection (b):

(1) for the first year, 33.33 percent;

(2) for the second year, 33.33 percent; and

(3) for the third year, 33.33 percent.

(b) Subject to Subsection (b-2), the [ The total ] amount of

repayment assistance received by a mental health professional under

this subchapter may not exceed:

(1) $180,000 [ $160,000 ], for assistance from the state

received by a licensed physician;

(2) $100,000 [ $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, 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) $80,000 [ $60,000 ], for assistance from the state

received by an advanced practice registered nurse;

(4) $60,000 [ $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

who is not described by Subdivision (2); [ or ]

(B) a licensed specialist in school psychology;

(C) a licensed master social worker;

(D) a person who holds a licensed professional

counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of

Examiners of Professional Counselors;

(E) a licensed marriage and family therapist

associate; or

(F) a certified school counselor described by

Section 61.601(12); [ and ]

(5) $50,000, for assistance from the state received by

a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical

dependency counselor has received within the same 12-month period

the counselor's:

(A) license; and

(B) most recent degree applicable to the

counselor's licensing eligibility requirements; and

(6) $15,000 [ $10,000 ], for assistance from the state

received by a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the

chemical dependency counselor has received at least an associate

degree related to chemical dependency counseling or behavioral

science and if the counselor is not otherwise described by

Subdivision (5) .

(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) or (b), a mental

health professional who receives repayment assistance under this

subchapter is eligible to receive repayment assistance in addition

to the amount specified by Subsection (b) as follows:

(1) a one-time amount of $5,000 for a mental health

professional who is fluent in a language of need in the

professional's practice area as determined by the board;

(2) a one-time amount of $10,000 for a mental health

professional who practices in a county with a population of 150,000

or less; and

(3) notwithstanding Section 61.604(a), $15,000 per

year for a mental health professional who practices in the manner

described by Section 61.603 for a fourth and fifth consecutive

year.

(b-2) The total amount of repayment assistance issued to a

mental health professional under Subsections (b) and (b-1) may not

exceed the amount described by Subsection (b) for the applicable

profession plus 10 percent of that amount.

SECTION 5. Section 61.608, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as

follows:

(c) The board shall adopt rules establishing a process for

allocating any unused funds under the program in a state fiscal year

in accordance with Section 61.604(d) [ 61.604(e) ].

(f) The board may use funds, in an amount not to exceed $1

million appropriated for purposes of this subchapter, to market the

program to students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, mental

health professionals, and mental health professional organizations

and associations and may contract with a third party for the

purpose. The board or third party may develop marketing plans or

promotional materials to market the program.

SECTION 6. Section 61.604(e), Education Code, is

repealed.

SECTION 7. (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 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.