SB 646

S.B. No. 646
  AN ACT
  relating to repayment of certain mental health professional
  education loans.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 61.601, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 61.601.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "mental
  health professional" means:
               (1)  a licensed physician who is:
                     (A)  a graduate of an accredited psychiatric
  residency training program; or
                     (B)  certified in psychiatry by:
                           (i)  the American Board of Psychiatry and
  Neurology; or
                           (ii)  the American Osteopathic Board of
  Neurology and Psychiatry;
               (2)  a psychologist, as defined by Section 501.002,
  Occupations Code;
               (3)  a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
  Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
               (4)  an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined
  by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a nationally
  recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental health
  nursing;
               (5)  a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by
  Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
               (6)  a licensed specialist in school psychology, as
  defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code;
               (7)  a chemical dependency counselor, as defined by
  Section 504.001, Occupations Code; [and]
               (8)  a licensed marriage and family therapist, as
  defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code;
               (9)  a licensed master social worker, as defined by
  Section 505.002, Occupations Code;
               (10)  a person who holds a licensed professional
  counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of
  Examiners of Professional Counselors;
               (11)  a licensed marriage and family therapist
  associate, as defined by Section 502.002, Occupations Code; and
               (12)  a school counselor certified under Subchapter B,
  Chapter 21, who has earned at least a master's degree related to
  counseling from any public or accredited private institution of
  higher education.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.603, Education Code, as amended by
  Chapters 678 (H.B. 1211), 705 (H.B. 2100), and 1069 (S.B. 532), Acts
  of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.603.  ELIGIBILITY.  (a)  Except as provided by
  Subsection (b), to be eligible to receive repayment assistance
  under this subchapter, a mental health professional must:
               (1)  apply to the board;
               (2)  have completed one, two, or three consecutive
  years of practice in a mental health professional shortage area
  designated by the Department of State Health Services; and
               (3)  provide mental health services in this state to:
                     (A)  recipients under the medical assistance
  program authorized by Chapter 32, Human Resources Code;
                     (B)  enrollees under the child health plan program
  authorized by Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code; or
                     (C)  persons committed to a secure correctional
  facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Juvenile
  Justice Department or persons confined in a secure correctional
  facility operated by or under contract with any division of the
  Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
         (b)  A mental health professional may also establish
  eligibility for the repayment assistance under this subchapter by
  satisfying the requirements of this subsection.  To establish
  eligibility under this subsection, the mental health professional
  must:
               (1)  apply to the board;
               (2)  provide mental health services to:
                     (A)  patients in a state hospital, as defined by
  Section 552.0011, Health and Safety Code; [or]
                     (B)  individuals receiving community-based mental
  health services from a local mental health authority that provides
  the services in accordance with Subchapter B, Chapter 534, Health
  and Safety Code; or
                     (C)  students enrolled in a public school in this
  state; and
               (3)  have completed one, two, or three consecutive
  years of practice in this state as described by Subdivision (2).
         SECTION 3.  Section 61.604(d), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  Notwithstanding Subsection (c), if in a state fiscal
  year not all funds available for purposes of the program are used,
  the [The] board may allocate any unused funds to award repayment
  assistance grants to mental health professionals in any of the
  professions listed in Section 61.601 [award a grant under this
  subchapter to a mental health professional described by Section
  61.601(8) only in accordance with Subsection (e)].
         SECTION 4.  Section 61.607, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and
  (b-2) to read as follows:
         (a)  A mental health professional may receive repayment
  assistance under this subchapter for each year the mental health
  professional establishes eligibility for the assistance in an
  amount determined by applying the following applicable percentage
  to the [maximum total] amount of assistance allowed for the mental
  health professional under Subsection (b):
               (1)  for the first year, 33.33 percent;
               (2)  for the second year, 33.33 percent; and
               (3)  for the third year, 33.33 percent.
         (b)  Subject to Subsection (b-2), the [The total] amount of
  repayment assistance received by a mental health professional under
  this subchapter may not exceed:
               (1)  $180,000 [$160,000], for assistance from the state
  received by a licensed physician;
               (2)  $100,000 [$80,000], for assistance from the state
  received by:
                     (A)  a psychologist;
                     (B)  a licensed clinical social worker, if the
  social worker has received a doctoral degree related to social
  work;
                     (C)  a licensed professional counselor, if the
  counselor has received a doctoral degree related to counseling; or
                     (D)  a licensed marriage and family therapist, if
  the marriage and family therapist has received a doctoral degree
  related to marriage and family therapy;
               (3)  $80,000 [$60,000], for assistance from the state
  received by an advanced practice registered nurse;
               (4)  $60,000 [$40,000], for assistance from the state
  received by:
                     (A)  a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed
  marriage and family therapist, or a licensed professional counselor
  who is not described by Subdivision (2); [or]
                     (B)  a licensed specialist in school psychology;
                     (C)  a licensed master social worker;
                     (D)  a person who holds a licensed professional
  counselor associate license issued by the Texas State Board of
  Examiners of Professional Counselors;
                     (E)  a licensed marriage and family therapist
  associate; or
                     (F)  a certified school counselor described by
  Section 61.601(12); [and]
               (5)  $50,000, for assistance from the state received by
  a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the chemical
  dependency counselor has received within the same 12-month period
  the counselor's:
                     (A)  license; and
                     (B)  most recent degree applicable to the
  counselor's licensing eligibility requirements; and
               (6)  $15,000 [$10,000], for assistance from the state
  received by a licensed chemical dependency counselor, if the
  chemical dependency counselor has received at least an associate
  degree related to chemical dependency counseling or behavioral
  science and if the counselor is not otherwise described by
  Subdivision (5).
         (b-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a) or (b), a mental
  health professional who receives repayment assistance under this
  subchapter is eligible to receive repayment assistance in addition
  to the amount specified by Subsection (b) as follows:
               (1)  a one-time amount of $5,000 for a mental health
  professional who is fluent in a language of need in the
  professional's practice area as determined by the board;
               (2)  a one-time amount of $10,000 for a mental health
  professional who practices in a county with a population of 150,000
  or less; and
               (3)  notwithstanding Section 61.604(a), $15,000 per
  year for a mental health professional who practices in the manner
  described by Section 61.603 for a fourth and fifth consecutive
  year.
         (b-2)  The total amount of repayment assistance issued to a
  mental health professional under Subsections (b) and (b-1) may not
  exceed the amount described by Subsection (b) for the applicable
  profession plus 10 percent of that amount.
         SECTION 5.  Section 61.608, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
  follows:
         (c)  The board shall adopt rules establishing a process for
  allocating any unused funds under the program in a state fiscal year
  in accordance with Section 61.604(d) [61.604(e)].
         (f)  The board may use funds, in an amount not to exceed $1
  million appropriated for purposes of this subchapter, to market the
  program to students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, mental
  health professionals, and mental health professional organizations
  and associations and may contract with a third party for the
  purpose.  The board or third party may develop marketing plans or
  promotional materials to market the program.
         SECTION 6.  Section 61.604(e), Education Code, is
  repealed.  
         SECTION 7.  (a)  The changes in law made by this Act to
  Sections 61.603 and 61.607, Education Code, apply only to a person
  who first establishes eligibility for loan repayment assistance
  under Subchapter K, Chapter 61, Education Code, as amended by this
  Act, on the basis of an application submitted on or after September
  1, 2025.  A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of
  an application submitted before September 1, 2025, is governed by
  the law in effect at the time the application was submitted, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         (b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Section 61.604,
  Education Code, apply beginning with the state fiscal year
  beginning September 1, 2025.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
     President of the Senate
  Speaker of the House     
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 646 passed the Senate on
  April 30, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 25, Nays 6.
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 646 passed the House on
  May 28, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 75, Nays 58, one
  present not voting.
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
  Approved:
  ______________________________ 
              Date
  ______________________________ 
            Governor