Bill: HB 1501, 86(R) - 2019
Committee
House Public Health
2nd Chamber Committee
Senate Health & Human Services
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| No |
Negative |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Negative |
Negative |
Author(s)
Poncho Nevarez
Sponsor(s)
Robert Nichols
Bill Caption
Relating to the creation of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council and to the continuation and transfer of the regulation of psychologists, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and social workers to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; providing civil and administrative penalties; authorizing a fee.
Fiscal Notes
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 1501, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($887,258) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Bill Analysis
HB 1501 would create the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (TBHEC). The duties of the boards which currently license and regulate psychologists, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, chemical dependency treatment counselors, and social workers would be consolidated and folded into the new TBHEC. The boards that formerly regulated licensure and practice of these behavioral health professionals would instead offer advice and propose rules, scope of practice, and continuing education requirements to the executive council. The chapter would have a sunset date of September 29, 2031 would require a full set of fingerprints for a criminal history background check for all applicants for a license. Also, HB 1501 would enact the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact to help regulate psychological practice across state lines and allow for the authorization of temporary psychological practice in a receiving state to help increase access to psychological services in underserved areas including by also regulating the use of tele-psychology services across state lines.
Vote Recommendation Notes
We do not oppose the idea of consolidating these various licensing boards under one council, however we do oppose adding mandatory fingerprint-based background checks. We oppose bills which add new, onerous requirements to licensed professions such as mandatory finger-print based background checks, without at a minimum offsetting those new requirements with the repeal of other requirements. The principles of free markets, limited government, and individual liberty are infringed when new licensure requirements are invoked by the state. Due to the new regulations this bill would add, Texas Action opposes HB 1501.
Organizations Supporting
Texans Care for Children
National Association of Social Workers/Texas
