| |
| |
| |
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the licensing of occupational therapists. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 454.204, Occupations Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 454.204. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. To satisfy Section |
|
|
454.203(a)(1): |
|
|
(1) an applicant applying for an occupational |
|
|
therapist license must have, from a program approved by the |
|
|
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, its |
|
|
predecessor organization, or another national credentialing agency |
|
|
approved by the board: |
|
|
(A) a baccalaureate degree in occupational |
|
|
therapy, if the applicant graduated before January 1, 2007; |
|
|
(B) a certificate evidencing successful |
|
|
completion of required undergraduate occupational therapy course |
|
|
work awarded to persons with a baccalaureate degree that is not in |
|
|
occupational therapy, if the applicant graduated before January 1, |
|
|
2007; or |
|
|
(C) a postbaccalaureate [postgraduate] degree in |
|
|
occupational therapy; and |
|
|
(2) an applicant applying for an occupational therapy |
|
|
assistant license must have: |
|
|
(A) an associate degree in occupational therapy; |
|
|
or |
|
|
(B) an occupational therapy assistant |
|
|
certificate. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Sections 454.252(b) and (c), Occupations Code, |
|
|
are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) A person whose license has been expired for 90 days or |
|
|
less may renew the license by paying to the executive council the |
|
|
renewal fee and a late fee set by the executive council that may not |
|
|
exceed [is equal to] one-half of the examination fee for the |
|
|
license. If a person's license has been expired for more than 90 |
|
|
days but less than one year, the person may renew the license by |
|
|
paying to the executive council all unpaid renewal fees and a late |
|
|
fee set by the executive council that may not exceed [is equal to] |
|
|
the amount charged for examination for the license. |
|
|
(c) A person whose license has been expired for one year or |
|
|
longer must comply with the board's requirements and procedures to |
|
|
reinstate the license, and pay a reinstatement fee set by the |
|
|
executive council [may not renew the license]. If the board |
|
|
requirements cannot be met, the [The] person may obtain a new |
|
|
license by submitting to reexamination and complying with the |
|
|
requirements and procedures for obtaining an original license. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 454.253, Occupations Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 454.253. RENEWAL OF EXPIRED LICENSE BY OUT-OF-STATE |
|
|
PRACTITIONER. (a) The board may renew without reexamination the |
|
|
expired license of a person who was licensed to practice as an |
|
|
occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in this |
|
|
state, moved to another state, [and] is currently licensed and in |
|
|
good standing [has been in practice] in the other state, and meets |
|
|
the board's requirements [for the two years preceding application]. |
|
|
(b) The person must pay to the executive council a renewal |
|
|
fee set by the executive council in an amount that may not exceed |
|
|
[equal to] the examination fee for the license. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 454.254(d), Occupations Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(d) In adopting rules under Subsection (a)(3), the board may |
|
|
authorize license holder peer organizations in this state to |
|
|
evaluate and approve continuing education courses in accordance |
|
|
with the board's evaluation and approval process. [The board may
|
|
|
not adopt rules implementing this subsection after January 1,
|
|
|
2003.] |
|
|
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
|
license applications and renewals filed on or after the effective |
|
|
date of this Act. A license application or renewal filed before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the |
|
|
time the application or renewal was filed, and the former law is |
|
|
continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
| |
| |
| |
______________________________ |
______________________________ |
| |
President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
| |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.B. No. 1785 was passed by the House on April |
|
|
9, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
|
|
voting. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.B. No. 1785 was passed by the Senate on May |
|
|
21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
APPROVED: _____________________ |
|
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
_____________________ |
|
|
Governor |