HB 4770

relating to educational requirements for licensing as an
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 401.304, Occupations Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
(a)  To be eligible for licensing as a speech-language
pathologist or audiologist, an applicant must:
(1)  if the application is for a license in:
(A)  speech-language pathology, possess at least
a master's degree with a major in at least one of the areas of
communicative sciences or disorders [from a program accredited by a
national accrediting organization that is approved by the
commission or department and recognized by the United States
secretary of education under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq.) in an accredited or approved college or
(B)  audiology, possess at least:
(i)  a master's degree in audiology
conferred on or before December 31, 2007; or
(ii)  a doctoral degree in audiology or a
related hearing science [from a program accredited by a national
accrediting organization that is approved by the commission or
department and recognized by the United States secretary of
education under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section
1001 et seq.) in an accredited or approved college or university];
(2)  submit a transcript from a public or private
institution of higher learning showing successful completion of
course work in amounts set by the commission by rule in:
(A)  normal development and use of speech,
(B)  evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation
of speech, language, and hearing disorders; and
(C)  related fields that augment the work of
clinical practitioners of speech-language pathology and audiology;
(3)  have successfully completed at least 36 semester
hours in courses that are acceptable toward a graduate degree by the
college or university in which the courses are taken, at least 24 of
which must be in the professional area for which the license is
(4)  have completed the minimum number of hours,
established by the commission by rule, of supervised clinical
experience with persons who present a variety of communication
(5)  have completed the full-time supervised
professional experience, as defined by commission rule, in which
clinical work has been accomplished in the major professional area
for which the license is being sought.
(a-1)  A degree required under Subsection (a)(1) must be
obtained from a program accredited by a national accrediting
organization that is approved by the commission or department and
recognized by the United States secretary of education under the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq.) in an
accredited or approved college or university.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.