H.B. No. 1211
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to financial assistance, including repayment of loans, for
  certain students attending postsecondary educational institutions.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.831, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 51.831.  COUNCIL AGREEMENT WITH PRIVATE OR INDEPENDENT
  INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  Each private or independent
  institution of higher education must enter into an agreement with
  the council under which the institution agrees to:
               (1)  provide academic counseling to a participating
  student or program alternate enrolled at the institution;
               (2)  as soon as practicable, implement or expand
  appropriate degree programs as necessary to provide participating
  students with sufficient preparation for enrollment in
  participating medical schools;
               (3)  select a faculty director or an academic or health
  professions advisor to assist in implementing the program at the
  institution and in implementing or expanding the institution's
  degree programs as necessary under Subdivision (2); and
               (4)  provide, in addition to any other scholarship
  money awarded to the student, a scholarship to a participating
  student in the amount required for a participating student
  attending a general academic teaching institution, except that  
  [but not to exceed] the amount of scholarship awards may not exceed
  the amount of tuition and fees that the student is charged.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.601, Education Code, as amended by
  Chapters 891 (H.B. 3083) and 1101 (H.B. 3808), Acts of the 85th
  Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, is reenacted and 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; [and]
               (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) [(6)]  a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
  defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code.
         SECTION 3.  Section 61.603, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 61.603.  ELIGIBILITY. (a) Except as provided by
  Subsection (b), to [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, 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(6) 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, three, four, or five
  consecutive years of practice in this state as described by
  Subdivisions (2) and (3).
         (c)  In addition to satisfying the requirements under
  Subsection (a), 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), 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 4.  Sections 61.604(d) and (e), Education Code, as
  added by Chapter 1101 (H.B. 3808), Acts of the 85th Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2017, 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(8)
  [61.601(6)] 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)-(7)
  [Subsections 61.601(1)-(5)], 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)-(7)
  [Subsections 61.601(1)-(5)]. The limitations prescribed by
  Subsections (b) and (c) do not apply to grants awarded under this
  subsection.
         SECTION 5.  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, 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
  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 6.  The following provisions are repealed:
               (1)  Section 61.604(d), Education Code, as added by
  Chapter 891 (H.B. 3083), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2017; and
               (2)  Section 61.608(c), Education Code, as added by
  Chapter 891 (H.B. 3083), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2017.
         SECTION 7.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
  51.831, Education Code, applies to the provision of scholarships
  pursuant to an agreement under Section 51.831, Education Code, as
  amended by this Act, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1211 was passed by the House on May 2,
  2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 124, Nays 20, 3 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 1211 on May 25, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 122, Nays 17,
  1 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1211 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 21, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays
  2.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor