HATS OFF to every Professional Counselor who made a call, spoke up in a meeting, sent an email, visited the Capitol, testified at a hearing, presented to their school board, or explained to a colleague, friend, family member, student, parent, client, elected or appointed official WHO Professional Counselors are, WHAT Professional Counselors do and HOW much community support Professional Counselors provide.

YOU had a great session. Some awesome bills were passed. Others were amended to make them better. And most of the ill-conceived proposals were set aside in large part because of your voice. The Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors is still an autonomous licensing board housed at the Department of State Health Services. The State Board for Educator Certification was expanded, not abolished and remains attached to the Texas Education Agency. Key legislation that passed this session is highlighted below.

More than 200 Professional Counselors walked the halls of the 84th Legislative Session. TCA members testified on, for or against key bills before House and Senate committees. Thousands of you called on so many occasions that TCA was asked to "call off our members" - something we would never do. YOUR Senator and Representative gave more thought to the bills we cared about because YOU called.

TCA's Final Bill Tracking Report is now available. June 21st is the deadline for the Governor to veto bills. Over the next few weeks, TCA will be analyzing all bills that may impact professional counselors. Check our State Issues webpage for updates. For an excellent analysis of the Texas budget passed by the 84th legislature, read the Legislative Budget Wrap-up developed by the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP).
CALL to ACTION! Submit Comments

Proposed Rules WILL Impact LPCs in Texas

 

Submit comments on the new rules proposed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors by Sunday, June 14, 2015. To access the rule changes and submit comments, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor/lpc_rules/.  

 

The proposed rules will further restrict the use of distance counseling, exempt TSBEPC members from continuing education requirements, change LPC Supervisor requirements and procedures, and more. These changes WILL impact your work. Submit comments no later than Sunday, June 14, 2015. The next TSBEPC board meeting will be held June 10-12 in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Key Legislation That Passed: 84th Texas Legislature
For final bill details, go to www.capitol.state.tx.us to read the "enrolled" version of each bill.
  • HB 197 - Price, Four(R) and Nelson, Jane(R) - Institutions of higher education must post on their websites information on mental health resources, including its local mental health agency.
  • HB 505 - Rodriguez, Eddie(D) and Estes, Craig(R) - Allows all high school students to take dual credit courses and removes the limit of dual credit courses or hours in which a public high school student may enroll.
  • HB 1083 - Marquez, Marisa(D) and Whitmire, John(D) - Requires a mental health assessment before an inmate can be sent to administrative segregation.
  • HB 1144 - Dukes, Dawnna(D) and Hinojosa, Chuy(D) - Establishes a task force that includes two private practitioners (rural/urban) to examine the adjudication, disposition, and registration of juvenile sex offenders. State funding uncertain.
  • HB 1430 - King, Susan(R) and Zaffirini, Judith(D) - Adds mental health careers to the public services endorsement on a public school diploma and in information about health science career pathway.
  • HB 2084 - Munoz, Sergio(D) and Hinojosa, Chuy(D) - Directs HHSC to publish actuarial reports on the data used in the premium payment rate setting processes for Medicaid and CHIP.
  • HB 2216 - Coleman, Garnet(D) and Kolkhorst, Lois (F)(R) - Directs DPS to modify their application and renewal forms regarding the mental health status of applicants. 
  • HB 2628 - Clardy, Travis(R) and Garcia, Sylvia(D) - Directs the Coordinating Board to establish a Career and Technical Education Program of Study Curricula with the assistance of institutions of higher education, career and technical education experts, and college and career readiness experts.
  • HB 3748 - Farney, Marsha(R) and West, Royce(D) - Directs the DFPS, the Coordinating Board and institutions of higher education to designate a liaison to work with, support and coordinate services for students who are currently or were formerly placed in foster care.
  • SB 239 - Schwertner, Charles(R) and Zerwas, John(R) - Establishes a modest student loan repayment program for certain mental health professionals including LPCs who work in workforce shortage areas or within the criminal justice system.
  • SB 1624 - Rodriguez, Jose(D) and Marquez, Marisa(D) - Requires institutions of higher education to provide entering students with an orientation regarding mental health and suicide prevention services.
Stay involved with our ongoing Advocacy Initiatives outside of the legislative session. Again, thank you for all you've done to support professional counselors in Texas!

TCA LOGO Texas Counseling Association

1204 San Antonio Suite 201

Austin, Texas 78701

If you choose to Unsubscribe from this email you are Unsubscribing from ALL of TCA's HTML email messages including our member-only Action Alerts, eMembership Updates, State Agency Announcements, Guidelines Newsletter, Conference News, and more.