LEGISLATIVE

Here is some relatively good news.

 

The bill opening the Federal government this week included another extension that delays the in-person requirements for Medicare patients that went into effect on October 1. The new deadline for this extension is January 31, 2026.

 

It is frustrating to have these short-term extensions. CSWA will continue to work to have the in-person requirement for telemental health treatment eliminated permanently.

 

I’ve had several posts from members concerned about how the in-person requirement would affect the interstate licensure Compact if it were to go into effect as it seems there is a conflict between the requirement and that the Compact is supposed to allow LCSWs to see patients virtually. The way this conflict may be solved is to call seeing a patient in person a “burden” because distance is too far to meet in person. This is an option in CMS guidance though distance is not specifically mentioned as a burden. There is no guarantee that this will be accepted by CMS as a burden. There are 14 Compacts with thousands of licensees across various professions and all of them are facing this problem, so I expect there to be some kind of exemption for Compacts.

 

Another ongoing concern is whether commercial insurers are starting to adopt the in-person requirement. I have had anecdotal reports about insurers that are taking this route but there is no major company I am aware of that is doing so. Be careful to read any information from plans in which you are paneled to stay on top of this issue.

 

On another note, please take the Telemental Health Survey sponsored by CSWA and NASW. We have almost 500 responses and want to get as many as possible by November 22 when the survey closes. Thanks for your help.

Regarding our update sent on 10/22/25 which stated that Kaiser Permanente as an insurer is requiring a yearly in-person visit for patients receiving telemental health services: this only applies to Medicare Advantage enrollees whose benefits are managed by Kaiser Permanente. It appears this notice was sent to LCSWs in the states of Washington and Oregon.

 

To our knowledge, CMS has required all Medicare Advantage plans – overseen by commercial insurers – to implement the in-patient requirement. If you receive a letter from Kaiser or other commercial insurers regarding the requirement, please let us know. The Clinical Social Work Association is seeking clarification from CMS on how this affects the Medicare Advantage plans.

 

Laura Groshong, LICSW, Director of Policy and Practice

lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org

Here are two additional pieces of news related to the Medicare Telemental Health changes. First, the good news! CMS has decided to eliminate the hold on payment of claims for mental health treatment (though not for other health care services) so claims will be paid on the usual basis, i.e., about 14 days after being submitted. Below is the message that was sent yesterday from CMS (yellow highlight mine):

 

Claims Hold Update

 

"CMS instructed all Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to lift the claims hold and process claims with dates of service of October 1, 2025, and later for certain services impacted by select expired Medicare legislative payment provisions passed under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Pub. L. 119-4, Mar. 15, 2025). This includes claims paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, ground ambulance transport claims, and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) claims. This includes telehealth claims that CMS can confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services. CMS has directed all MACs to continue to temporarily hold claims for other telehealth services (i.e. those that CMS cannot confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services) and for acute Hospital Care at Home claims.

 

Beginning October 1, 2025, for services that are not behavioral health services, many of the statutory limitations on payment for Medicare telehealth services that were, in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, lifted, and subsequently extended, through legislation again took effect. These include prohibition of many services provided to beneficiaries in their homes and outside of rural areas, and hospice recertifications that require a face-to-face encounter. In the absence of Congressional action, practitioners who choose to perform telehealth services that are not payable by Medicare on or after October 1, 2025, may want to evaluate providing beneficiaries with an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN). Further information on use of the ABN, including ABN forms and form instructions: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/forms-notices/beneficiary-notices-initiative/ffs-abn. Practitioners should monitor Congressional action and may choose to hold claims associated with telehealth services that are currently not payable by Medicare in the absence of Congressional action. For further information: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/telehealth."

 

Now for the not so good news: Kaiser Permanente has decided to start requiring the in-person meeting with patients once during every 12-month period that Medicare implemented on October 1. We can expect other commercial insurers to follow suit. Please let me know if you get any information about this from insurers that you work with by contacting me at lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org.

 

Laura Groshong, LICSW

CSWA Director of Policy and Practice

Here is an update on the ongoing issues which have been raised around telemental health since October 1 when the in-person requirement went into effect for LCSWs and other mental health clinicians.

 

To recap, there is now a requirement that we see all NEW Medicare patients – after October 1 – at least once in-person before starting virtual treatment. After that, we need to see them once a year in-person. The hope is that this rule will be stopped permanently, or that exemptions will be again extended, when the government reopens. For LCSWs that have given up their offices, this will create a problem. Many are using the offices of colleagues; others are reconsidering finding an office of their own again. The advantages of not paying rent have to be weighed against the problem of not having a place to see patients in person.

 

There is an exemption for new Medicare patients who cannot be seen in-person. This must be explained and entered into the Medical Record. A template has been created for your use.

 

Another consideration, which will be hard on those of us who see many Medicare patients, is that there is a recommendation from the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) Telehealth Group that we not file claims until after the government reopens. They will be denied because they cannot be processed and would have to be filed as an appeal once the government reopens. This will be a real hardship for us but there is no solution at the moment. This will NOT apply to Medicare Advantage patients unless the commercial insurers that offer those plans refuse to pay claims as well. None have announced that they plan to do so at this time.

 

Please continue to notify your members of Congress about the hardship this will present for you and let me know when you have done so by emailing me at the address below.

 

Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice

lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org

This guidance on telehealth was published today by CMS on the status of telemental health. All telehealth services will return to the status of non-coverage that was in place before the pandemic, except for mental health services. This was what CSWA was expecting.

 

CMS made no change to the in-person requirement that goes into effect today. To review, it means that we need to see virtual Medicare patients once a year in-person. There is an option to document that the in-person requirement will interfere with ongoing treatment and waive it. It is unclear whether it is possible for new virtual patients to have the in-person requirement waived as of today.

 

Additionally, there will be a 10-day hold on payments for traditional Medicare. Claims can continue to be submitted but will not be processed for 14 days. Here is the guidance (yellow outline mine):

 

CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS)

Wednesday, October, 1, 2025

Update on Medicare Operations: Telehealth, Claims Processing, and Medicare Administrative Contractors Status During the Shutdown

 

When certain legislative payment provisions (“extenders”) are scheduled to expire, CMS directs all Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to implement a temporary claims hold. This standard practice is typically up to 10 business days and ensures that Medicare payments are accurate and consistent with statutory requirements. The hold prevents the need for reprocessing large volumes of claims should Congress act after the statutory expiration date and should have a minimal impact on providers due to the 14-day payment floor. Providers may continue to submit claims during this period, but payment will not be released until the hold is lifted.

 

Absent Congressional action, beginning October 1, 2025, many of the statutory limitations that were in place for Medicare telehealth services prior to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will take effect again for services that are not behavioral and mental health services. These include prohibition of many services provided to beneficiaries in their homes and outside of rural areas and hospice recertifications that require a face-to-face encounter. In some cases, these restrictions can impact requirements for meeting continued eligibility for other Medicare benefits. In the absence of Congressional action, practitioners who choose to perform telehealth services that are not payable by Medicare on or after October 1, 2025, may want to evaluate providing beneficiaries with an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage. Practitioners should monitor Congressional action and may choose to hold claims associated with telehealth services that are not payable by Medicare in the absence of Congressional action. Additionally, Medicare would not be able to pay some kinds of practitioners for telehealth services. For further information: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/telehealth.

 

CMS notes that the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 allows clinicians in applicable Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to provide and receive payment for covered telehealth services to certain Medicare beneficiaries without geographic restriction and in the beneficiary’s home. There is no special application or approval process for applicable ACOs or their ACO participants or ACO providers/suppliers. Clinicians in applicable ACOs can provide these covered telehealth services and bill Medicare for the telehealth services that are permissible under Medicare rules during CY 2025, irrespective of further Congressional action.

 

For more information:

 

https://www.cms.gov/files/document/shared-savings-program-telehealth-fact-sheet.pdf.

 

MACs will continue to perform all functions related to Medicare Fee-for-Service claims processing and payment.

 

Please continue to let members of Congress know that the in-person requirement will be a hardship for many patients. Let me know if you have any more questions about the changes to telemental health coverage.

 

Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice

lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org

The Texas Behavioral Executive Council has officially adopted CE Broker as its continuing education online system for reporting all continuing education hours/credits earned by Social Work licensees for license renewals.

 

All Social Work licensees licensed in Texas are required to use this online system for reporting and tracking Continuing Education credits.

 

Effective 1 January 2026, all licensees must create an account with CE Broker and report completion of continuing education hours required before their social work license can be renewed.

 

While TxBHEC has been exploring an online continuing education reporting system,  the 89th Texas Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law SB 912 requiring all state agencies to adopt an online continuing education system for their licensees without cost to the licensee by January 1, 2026.

 

The Texas Behavioral Executive Health Council held a webinar with CE Broker on August 27th to demonstrate how to begin the process of creating an account and how this online management system will be utilized to facilitate renewals of social work licenses in Texas effective January 2026.

 

There will be two (2) more webinars scheduled this Fall, October 29th and December 10th with staff to demonstrate account registration and to answer questions from licensees.

 

Registration for October 29, 2025:   https://cebroker-evercheck.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_78G7ooKATK-KVxKGcBpTiw

 

Registration for December 10, 2025:   https://cebroker-evercheck.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_c2hqDdI5QN28PEMTh-bFHg

 

Each Webinar will cover:

   Activating your CE Broker account

   Reporting continuing education hours/credits

   Benefits of each account 

 

There will be opportunities for attendees to ask questions of TxBHEC staff and CE Broker staff.

 

NOTE:  See the email sent on August 13, 2025 by the Texas Behavioral Executive Council for additional details of the implementation of this new requirement. https://bhec.texas.gov/continuing education/

 

CHANGE IN RENEWING YOUR LICENSE AND REPORTING CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS REQUIRED FOR RENEWAL

 

Prior to January 2026   Licensees were required to complete their continuing education credits and to report them ONLY IF AUDITED.

 

Effective January 2026, all licensees must report their completed continuing education hours by uploading the documentation for all their CE Hours directly into the CE Broker system.   Your license will not be renewed unless all the required continuing education hours are documented in your account in the CE Broker system.

 

The August 27th CE Broker/TxBHEC Webinar was recorded and is available on CE Broker’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@Cebrokerpropelus

 

CE Broker support is available 8AM to 8PM EST

 

Preferred browser is Google Chrome for CE Broker AND it should work on all browsers

 

Recommended:  Create a CE Broker account well in advance of your renewal

As many of you know, LCSWs have had several anxious moments in the last two years as Congress has, at the last minute, approved short term extensions of Medicare coverage of telemental health.

 

In the always-changing world of Medicare coverage of telemental health, there is a new wrinkle to the changes that will be coming on October 1, 2025.

 

First, the good news. It appears that CMS is now recommending permanent coverage of telemental health services if the patient is present in their home, which we interpret to mean place of residence. Here is the citation:

 

“Telehealth, defined as 2-way, interactive, audio-video technology, to diagnose, evaluate, or treat certain mental health or SUDs if the patient is in their home. Practitioners must be able to provide 2-way, real-time, audio-video technology services but may use audio-only technology given an individual patient’s technological limitations, abilities, or preferences. We cover telehealth for behavioral and mental health on a permanent basis.” 

(https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mln1986542-medicare-mental-health-coverage.pdf, p. 7)

 

The not-so-good news is that we still need to see patients in person with two exceptions. Here is the citation [bracketed italicized commentary is mine]:

 

“Starting October 1, 2025, in-person visit requirements will apply for mental health services provided by telehealth. This includes a required in-person visit within the 6 months before the initial telehealth treatment, as well as the required subsequent in-person visits at least every 12 months.

 

Telehealth also applies to mental health services provided by Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). For RHCs and FQHCs, we don’t require the in-person visit for mental health services provided through telehealth to patients in their homes until January 1, 2026.”

 

The regulations at 42 CFR 410.78(b)(3)(xiv) describe 2 exceptions to the in-person requirements effective October 1, 2025:

 

”Patients who already get telehealth behavioral health services and have circumstances where in-person care may not be appropriate [no guidance on what the “circumstances” are].

 

Groups with limited availability for in-person behavioral health visits have the flexibility to arrange for practitioners to provide in-person and telehealth visits with different practitioners, based on availability [no definition of what “groups” are].

 

Exceptions to the in-person visit requirement require a clear justification documented in the patient’s medical record.” (https://www.cms.gov/files/document/mln1986542-medicare-mental-health-coverage.pdf, p. 10)

 

There is still confusion about the in-person visit for NEW patients “six months prior to treatment” beginning, but patients who have ALREADY been seen through telemental health prior to October 1, 2025, can continue to be seen virtually without being seen in-person. Additionally, there is an exception to the in-person requirement every 12 months if there is “clear justification” for why it is not appropriate. This should include working with patients who are in another state; an LCSW not having an office where the patient can be seen in-person; and/or seeing patients who are in the LCSW’s state but too far away to be seen in-person. This remains to be clarified but is the best interpretation I can give at this time. As we have been for the past three years, CSWA is working with members of Congress and other mental health groups to eliminate the in-person requirement completely.

 

We realize this is complicated. Let us know if you have any questions by contacting Laura Groshong, LICSW, CSWA Director of Policy and Practice at lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org.

Greetings !!!

​

SB 1726 The Social Work Interstate Compact Bill has been referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee.

Author Senator Nathan Johnson (D) District 16 (Dallas area)

No hearing has been set yet.

As soon as a hearing is scheduled, a TSCSW Legislative Alert will go out to all licensed social workers in Texas.

You will be provided a list of committee members and how to contact them to ask them to vote YES at the committee hearing to move SB 1726 to the Senate floor for a vote by the full Senate.

 

Sample language for your call or email will be included.

HB 3503 by Representative Drew Darby (R) (San Angelo area) has been filed. No hearing set yet.

Please see the Medicare Telehealth Update prepared by CSWA and sent to all licensed LMSWs and LCSWs in Texas by TSCSW.

A 6 month extension for Telehealth has been granted until October 1, 2025.

Further Congressional action will be necessary for the extension beyond the October 1 st deadline.

 

Further the in-person visit requirement has been put on hold.

GREETINGS !!!

The Social Work Interstate Compact Bill has been filed.
SB 1726 Sponsor Senator Nathan Johnson (D) District 16 (Dallas area)
HB 3503 Sponsor Representative Drew Darby (R) District 72 (San Angelo area)

Please make a short phone contact to Senator Johnson’s office (512 463-0116) and Representative Darby’s office (512 463-0331) thanking them for sponsoring the social work compact bill and filing the legislation. Members of the Legislature appreciate hearing from the public on pending legislation.

As soon as these bills are referred to committees, information will be sent out with names of committee members and how to contact them.

NASW/TEXAS and TSCSW are members of the Texas Interstate Compact Coalition which is chaired by Bryan Mares MSW Government Relations Director for NASW/Texas. The Coalition has ten (10) health-related professions as members who are seeking to have Interstate Compact Legislation passed for their respective professions in this legislative session. Coalition members include Texas Counseling Association, Texas Occupational Therapy Association, Texas Academy of Physician Assistants, Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association, Texas Academy of Audiology, Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Association of Dental Support Organizations, NASW/Texas, and Texas Society for Clinical Social Work.

The Coalition under the leadership of Bryan Mares MSW has been working since April 2024 to prepare for the Texas Legislature and the passage of Interstate Compact legislation.

An Interstate Compact is a state legislature authorized agreement among states that maintains their sovereignty and establishes a formal, legal relationship among states to address common problems.
 

Nationally, there are twenty-two (22) states who have social work compacts.

Currently the State of Texas participates in thirty-eight (38) interstate compacts. Five (5) are related to licensed provision of health care services. Those are Nurse Licensure Compact, Interstate Medical
Licensure Compact, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, Physical Therapy, and Emergency Medical Services Compact.

Benefits of Interstate Compacts in Health Care in Texas:

• Responds to Workforce Needs

• Maintains State Standards for who Practices in Texas

• Provides Opportunities for Multistate Practice

• Increases Access to Care when consumers relocate out of state

• Improves Continuity of Care

• Gives Access to Telehealth for patients and clients

• Creates Cooperation among state licensing boards on complaints and investigations

• Enhances Public Safety through a shared interstate data and disciplinary systems

• Preserves the Sovereignty of the State of Texas

• Expands Consumer Access to Licensed Qualified Practitioners

• Addresses Military Families’ Needs when reassigned

  • Note: SB 1200 (86th session) has limitations for military spouses

• Eases the Burden on Health Care practitioners having to obtain multiple state licenses

• Promotes Workforce Development

• Strengthens Labor Markets

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO !!!

Greetings !!!

​

SB 1726 The Social Work Interstate Compact Bill has been referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee.

Author Senator Nathan Johnson (D) District 16 (Dallas area)

No hearing has been set yet.

As soon as a hearing is scheduled, a TSCSW Legislative Alert will go out to all licensed social workers in Texas.

You will be provided a list of committee members and how to contact them to ask them to vote YES at the committee hearing to move SB 1726 to the Senate floor for a vote by the full Senate.

 

Sample language for your call or email will be included.

HB 3503 by Representative Drew Darby (R) (San Angelo area) has been filed. No hearing set yet.

Please see the Medicare Telehealth Update prepared by CSWA and sent to all licensed LMSWs and LCSWs in Texas by TSCSW.

A 6 month extension for Telehealth has been granted until October 1, 2025.

Further Congressional action will be necessary for the extension beyond the October 1 st deadline.

 

Further the in-person visit requirement has been put on hold.

Greetings !!!

 

I. CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION on the January 28th Practice Alert

TSCSW does not support the Proposed Amendment to Rule 781.501. Requirements for Continuing Education.

 

I missed a typo which made TSCSW’s position unclear. My apologies!

 

TSBSWE is considering a Proposed Amendment to Rule 781.501. The TSBSWE at its scheduled Board meeting on January 30 th heard testimony from licensed social workers across the state in opposition to this proposed amendment.

 

There will be 3 more opportunities to voice your position on this proposal:

 

BHEC Review February 18, 2025

TSBSWE Final Review April 4, 2025

BHEC Final Review June 6, 2025

 

The proposed amendment on Rule 781.501.

 

(a) Minimum Continuing Education Hours Required:

 

(1) A licensee must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each renewal period that they hold a license. The 30 hours of continuing

education must include 6 hours in ethics and 3 hours designed to ensure

competency when providing services to a distinct population, defined as a group of people who share a common attribute, trait, defining characteristic of the licensee’s choice.

 

(d) This entire section is being deleted.

 

It is important to note that anti-discrimination provisions are included in statute for the Practice of Social Work in Texas. Also, in Rules, the Code of Conduct mandates that licensed social workers must provide services within their scope of practice and in a manner that does not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals.

 

Social Work Values and Ethics will continue to be a crucial element of the foundation of Social Work Practice in Texas.

 

II. Social Work Compact Legislation

 

TSCSW and NASW/Texas are participating in a Coalition with 9 other health-related professions in Texas to introduce and pass legislation in the 89th Legislative Session which would enable Texas to become a Compact State.

 

To date, Social Work Compacts have been passed in 22 states with more to come.

 

What is Compact legislation. It is an agreement passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor between states that maintains state sovereignty, increases access to care and continuity for patients/clients, eases the burden of having multi-licenses in more than one state, allows state participation in a national database relating to disciplinary matters, and helps address the health care workforce needs.

 

Currently in Texas, Physicians, Nurses, Physical Therapists, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Psychologists have practice compacts for their respective health care professions.

 

The Texas Interstate Compact Coalition has met with the Lt Governor’s staff, and the Senate Business & Commerce Committee’s staff to secure support for these health-related compacts. Stay tuned for more information about Senate/House Sponsors and Committee assignments.

 

III. Governor Abbott ‘s Legislative Priorities As Stated February 2, 2025

 

The Governor declared 7 legislative matters to be Emergency Items such that legislation can be passed prior to the 61st day of the Legislative Session.

 

The Emergency Items: Property Tax Relief ($10B); Education Savings Accounts (ESAs); Teacher Pay; Generational Investment in Water; Bail Reform (denying bail for those charged with capitol murder and other heinous violent crimes, including illegal immigrants at risk of flight); Career Training; and Create Texas Cyber Command at UTSA.

The Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners is meeting this Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 10:00 AM CST. You may attend, watch and/or testify in-person or through Zoom. You may access this meeting, agenda and public materials by going to Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council…click on Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners…Click on Meeting Dates, Agendas and Minutes…then you can click onto
Agenda and Public Meeting Materials. Instructions are given for attending in-person or joining by Zoom.

On the agenda is a Proposed Amendment
Rule: 781.501. Requirements for Continuing Education.

Comment (TSBSWE): The proposed amendments will clarify the nature of professional development a licensee must receive to maintaining competency when providing services to unique populations.

781.501. Requirements for Continuing Education.
(a) Minimum Continuing Education Hours Required:
(1) A licensee must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each renewal period that they hold a license. The 30 hours of continuing education must include 6 hours in ethics and 3
hours in cultural diversity or competency.

​

“cultural diversity or competency” language is being removed and replaced with “designed to ensure competency when providing services to a distinct population, defined as a group of people who share a common attribute, trait, defining characteristic of the licensee’s choice”

​

(d) Acceptable cultural diversity or competency hours include, but are not limited to continuing education regarding age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

​

“(d)” This entire section is being removed.

​

There will be four (4) opportunities to comment on these changes:
TSBSWE Review January 30, 2025
BHEC Review February 18, 2025
TSBSWE Final Review April 4, 2025
BHEC Final Review June 6, 2025

​

Texas Society for Clinical Social Work does that support this change.
 

It is important to note that the proposed amendments change from 3 hours of CEUs of competency in cultural diversity with specified populations To 3 hours of CEUs of competency when providing services to a distinct population, defined as a group of people who share a common attribute, trait, or defining characteristic. This amendment does not remove any groups and broadens the definition related to these specified populations.

The Psychology Board and the LMFT Board have already made this language change.

The LPC Board has this proposed amendment on their agenda for January 31 st .

The 89th Session of the Texas Legislature convenes at Noon on January 14, 2025.

 

The Texas Legislature meets odd years for 140 days starting on the second Tuesday of January and finishes Sine Die on Memorial Day 2025. This format follows the Texas state constitution of “limited government.”

 

The leaders are Governor Greg Abbott, Lt Governor Dan Patrick, and the Speaker of the House. The Speaker of the House is determined by a floor vote, with seventy-six (76)votes being the number needed to elect the Speaker. As of today, the Republicans, as the Majority Party in the Texas House, have not chosen their nominee for Speaker. Dade Phelan was Speaker of the House for the 88th Legislature. Speaker Phelan has withdrawn his bid for another term as Speaker. The election for Speaker of the House is set for January 14th by the full membership of the Texas House. No candidate has secured the necessary 76 votes to be elected Speaker.

 

The Governor called four (4) Special sessions following the 88th Legislature. These 2023 special sessions dealt with vouchers and property tax relief. A special session is thirty (30) days in length and there is no limit on the number of special sessions that may be called by the Governor who sets the agenda for special sessions.

 

First date to file legislation was November 14, 2024. There were over 1500 bills pre-filed.

 

The last day to file legislation is March 14, 2025.

 

The last day for the Governor to Act on legislation (bills) passed by both the Texas Senate and the Texas House is June 22, 2025. The Governor may sign bills into law, may veto bills or allow bills to become law without his signature.

 

The Texas Senate for the 89th Session will be comprised of twenty (20) Republicans and eleven (11) Democrats. Lt Governor Patrick presides over the Senate and determines the committee assignments of members as well as assigning which bills go to which committee in the Senate.

 

The Texas House for the 89th Session will be comprised of eighty-eight (88) Republicans and sixty-two (62) Democrats. The Speaker of the House determines which House members chair the committees and assigns members to the committees.

 

There will be thirty-five (35) new members this session. Two Republicans are not returning to the House and one is not returning to the Senate. In the House, nine chairs of committees are not returning, and ten vice chairs are not returning. Two members of the House Public Education Committee are not returning. On the House

Appropriations Committee, eight members are not returning.

 

Issues for the 89th Texas Legislature:

 

Speaker’s Race (the relationships between the Governor, Lt Governor, and the Speaker are critical to the overall success of the legislative session);

 

Revenue Estimate made by the State Comptroller is projected at $20 Billion. This will be the second consecutive session that has had a surplus projected;

 

Property Taxes; Vouchers; Funding for Public Schools; Border Security; Elections; Energy & Texas Grid; Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying; Federal Policy Changes; and State Water Fund Resources.

 

In the last session, the issues of school vouchers (use of public funds to fund private schools) and funding for public schools were joined together in legislative bills. This session is expected to deal with these two issues separately. The Governor could declare an emergency item, which would cause the Senate and the House to negotiate quickly.

 

Many of the state-wide advocate organizations will be focused on Women’s Health (reproductive rights and Medicaid expansion), Education (vouchers, book censorship, funding, teacher pay, and uncredited teachers), Discrimination and Rights of Marginalized persons, Reducing Gun Violence (age restrictions, and red flag standards), Free and Fair Elections, Equal Pay & Pay Equity (voter registration,

extended early voting and voting by mail), Mental Health (funding, access, and unhoused persons).

 

TSCSW Major Legislative Focus for the 89th Session will be the passage of a Social Work Compact for Texas while continuing to focus on legislation that affects our clients and our practices.

 

Health-Care: TSCSW and NASW/Texas are members of a COALITION OF 12 Health-related professions who are working on Interstate Compact Legislation for their respective professions ( Audiology/Speech-Language Pathology, Cosmetology, Counseling Dentist/Dental Hygienist, Dietitian, Occupational Therapy, Physician’s Assistant, Respiratory Care, Social Work). We have been meeting since Summer 2024 to prepare.

 

Interstate Compacts are legislatively authorized agreements between states that maintain state sovereignty and establish a formal legal relationship among states that are compact states. Texas currently participates in 38 interstate compacts, of which 5 are related to health/professional licensing (EMS, Medicine, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Psychology).

 

Health-related professional interstate compacts would:

Respond to the state’s workforce needs; provide licensees with opportunities for multistate practices; increase access to care; improve continuity; and address mobility issues for patients and health care providers.

 

The Social Work Compact would allow social work licensees to work in other states without having to become licensed in those states. When relocating, it would allow military personnel and spouses to more easily maintain their social work licenses. Clients relocating to another state would not have to change their healthcare provider. There are currently 24 states which are social work compact states.

 

*** It is important to know who represents you in the Texas Senate and the Texas House.

 

There is a state website for the Texas Legislature where you can learn who your representative is in the Senate and the House, track legislation filed, and find out where a specific piece of legislation is in the bill passage process.

 

TSCSW will send out Legislative Alerts, giving you the information you need to impact a specific piece of legislation.

 

Currently, TSCSW sends out Practice Alerts to all LCSWs and LMSWs in Texas. As we move to the 89th Session, please let us know whether you want to receive these alerts/updates. You can contact Kathy Rider, LCSW and TSCSW Governmental Affairs Chair regarding being included in future legislative updates.

​