Bill Text: TX HB1797 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to a person's eligibility to obtain a license in social work and to an exemption from the licensing requirement.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective immediately [HB1797 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HB1797-Introduced.html

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82R7646 JAM-F
By: Naishtat H.B. No. 1797

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the licensing and practice of social work.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 505.351, Occupations Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) A person may not engage in the practice of social work
unless the person holds an appropriate license issued under this
chapter.
(a-1) A person may not use or cause to be used the title
"social worker," "licensed baccalaureate social worker," "licensed
master social worker," "licensed clinical social worker," or
"licensed social worker," or any combination, variation, or
abbreviation of those titles, as a professional or business
identification, representation, asset, or means of obtaining a
benefit unless the person holds an appropriate license issued under
this chapter.
SECTION 2. Section 505.353(b), Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) An applicant may take the licensing examination
conducted by the board under Section 505.354 for:
(1) a master social worker license if the applicant
possesses a doctoral or master's degree in social work from a
graduate program that is accredited by or is in candidacy for
accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education;
(2) a baccalaureate social worker license if the
applicant possesses a baccalaureate degree in social work from an
educational program that is accredited by or is in candidacy for
accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education; or
(3) a clinical social worker license if the applicant
possesses a doctoral or master's degree in social work from an
accredited graduate program approved by the board and meets the
qualifications for clinical social work practice as determined by
the board under this chapter.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Section
505.353, Occupations Code, apply to a license for which an
application is filed on or after the effective date of this Act. A
license application filed before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the application was filed,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. 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, 2011.