SW Board recommended and Executive Council published adopted rules regarding 22 TAC Chapter 781
On June 6, 2020, the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (SW Board) voted to recommend changes to Title 22 of the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 781 to align with statutory amendments made by House Bill 1501, 86th Legislature, Regular Session (2019) to Title 3 of the Texas Occupations Code, Chapters 505 and 507. This legislation created the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (Executive Council) and authorized the Executive Council to regulate marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Sections 507.151 and 507.152 of Title 3 of the Texas Occupations Code authorize the Executive Council to administer and enforce Chapters 501, 502, 503, 505, and 507 of Title 3 of the Texas Occupations Code, as well as adopt rules as necessary to perform the Executive Council’s duties. On June 16, 2020, the Executive Council considered the SW Board’s recommended changes and voted to publish proposed rules.
On July 17, 2020, the Executive Council’s proposed rules concerning Chapter 781 were published in the Texas Register [45 TexReg 4915]. Public comment was reviewed by the SW Board on September 11, 2020, and the SW Board recommended adoption of the proposed rules with some changes to the Executive Council. In a joint meeting with the SW Board and the Executive Council on October 12, 2020, the Executive Council approved publication of adopted rules in the Texas Register. On November 13, 2020, adopted rules were published in the Texas Register [45 TexReg 8156] and become effective November 19, 2020. On and after November 19, 2020, these new rules will be available on the Secretary of State’s website for 22 TAC Part 34.
Reminder: SW Board applicants and licensees are also subject to 22 TAC Part 41
SW Board applicants and licensees are subject to Title 22 of the Texas Administrative Code, Part 41 (Chapters 881 through 885), which became effective September 1, 2020 and are available on the Secretary of State’s website for 22 TAC Part 41.
A Consolidated Rulebook for Social Work will soon be available with other resources Executive Council’s Statutes and Rules webpage.
Members of the public may also signup to receive email notifications when any rule actions taken by the Executive Council are published in the Texas Register via the Texas Secretary of State’s Subscription Formats and Options webpage.
Posted on November 13, 2020
