Bill Text: TX SB716 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the issuance of an occupational license to certain out-of-state applicants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-06 - Filed [SB716 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB716-Introduced.html
| 89R4982 JCG-D | ||
| By: Sparks | S.B. No. 716 | |
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| relating to the issuance of an occupational license to certain | ||
| out-of-state applicants. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Title 2, Occupations Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Chapter 61 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 61. LICENSING OF CERTAIN OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS | ||
| Sec. 61.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "license" means | ||
| a license, certificate, registration, permit, or other form of | ||
| authorization required by law or rule that must be obtained by an | ||
| individual to engage in a particular business or occupation. | ||
| Sec. 61.002. APPLICABILITY; EXCEPTION. (a) This chapter | ||
| applies only to the issuance of a license by any of the following | ||
| licensing authorities: | ||
| (1) Executive Council of Physical Therapy and | ||
| Occupational Therapy Examiners; | ||
| (2) Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas; | ||
| (3) Department of State Health Services; | ||
| (4) Health and Human Services Commission; | ||
| (5) State Board for Educator Certification; | ||
| (6) State Board of Dental Examiners; | ||
| (7) State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners; | ||
| (8) Supreme Court of Texas; | ||
| (9) Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification | ||
| Board; | ||
| (10) Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; | ||
| (11) Texas Board of Architectural Examiners; | ||
| (12) Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners; | ||
| (13) Texas Board of Nursing; | ||
| (14) Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land | ||
| Surveyors; | ||
| (15) Texas Department of Insurance; | ||
| (16) Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; | ||
| (17) Texas Medical Board; | ||
| (18) Texas Optometry Board; | ||
| (19) Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners; | ||
| (20) Texas State Board of Pharmacy; | ||
| (21) Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners; and | ||
| (22) Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. | ||
| (b) This chapter does not apply to a license or other | ||
| authorization required for the establishment or operation of a | ||
| facility. | ||
| Sec. 61.003. ISSUANCE OF LICENSE TO CERTAIN OUT-OF-STATE | ||
| APPLICANTS. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a licensing | ||
| authority described by Section 61.002(a) shall issue a license to | ||
| an applicant who pays any required fees and: | ||
| (1) holds a current license in good standing in | ||
| another state with a similar scope of practice, as determined by the | ||
| licensing authority; | ||
| (2) has held the license for at least one year; | ||
| (3) was required to pass an examination or meet other | ||
| experience, education, or training requirements to obtain the | ||
| license; | ||
| (4) does not have a disqualifying criminal history as | ||
| determined by the licensing authority; | ||
| (5) has not been subject to the revocation or | ||
| surrender of the license in any state due to unprofessional conduct | ||
| or while under investigation for unprofessional conduct in the | ||
| performance of work under the license; | ||
| (6) is not currently subject to ongoing discipline by | ||
| a regulatory agency in connection with the applicant's license, | ||
| including a probated suspension, limitation on scope of practice, | ||
| or program of additional monitoring; and | ||
| (7) is not currently the subject of a complaint or | ||
| investigation in the other state for an act that constitutes | ||
| unprofessional conduct or an offense. | ||
| (b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), if the applicant | ||
| holds a license of similar scope in more than one state, each | ||
| license must be in good standing in each state. | ||
| (c) Before a license may be issued under Subsection (a), the | ||
| licensing authority must request and receive from the other state | ||
| confirmation that the applicant meets the requirements described by | ||
| Subsection (a)(3). | ||
| (d) An applicant for a license under this section may be | ||
| required to pass a jurisprudence examination specific to the | ||
| relevant laws of this state applicable to the activities for which | ||
| the license is sought if a similar examination is required to obtain | ||
| the license for all other applicants. | ||
| (e) Each licensing authority described by Section 61.002(a) | ||
| shall adopt rules to implement this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) Each licensing authority to which Section | ||
| 61.003, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, applies shall adopt | ||
| rules required by that section not later than January 1, 2026. | ||
| (b) Chapter 61, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, | ||
| applies only to an application for a license submitted to a | ||
| licensing authority to which that chapter applies on or after | ||
| January 1, 2026. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
