By: Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Rodriguez)	H.B. No. 1797
	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 2011;
	May 12, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
	and Human Services; May 18, 2011, reported favorably by the
	following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 18, 2011, sent to printer.)

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to a person's eligibility to obtain a license in social
	work.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  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 2.  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 3.  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.
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