 TPA's Legislative Efforts
TPA advocates for policies that protect the profession, expand access to psychological services, and elevate the voice of psychologists in every corner of the state. Stay informed, take action, and make your voice heard. Whether you’re new to advocacy or a seasoned expert, this page is your hub for legislative priorities, tools, and updates.
One-Pagers & Resources
90th Legislative Priorities
Preserve the Doctoral Standard for Psychologists
Support policies that maintain the doctoral degree as the minimum educational requirement for psychologist licensure, ensuring a high standard of training, clinical competency, and public protection. Preserving the doctoral standard helps safeguard the quality and effectiveness of psychological services across Texas.
Ensure robust protections for psychological care and prevent misuse and overreach of AI in providing mental healthcare.
Advocate for the requirement of rigorous, independent evaluation of AI models across diverse populations for bias and potential harm before public deployment.
Prescriptive Authority for Psychologists (RxP)
Texas faces a major shortage of psychiatric prescribers, leaving millions without access to care. Granting prescribing authority to specially trained psychologists, already used in nine states, the U.S. military, and the U.S. Public Health Service, could expand Texas’s mental health workforce by about 30% while maintaining strict training and safety requirements.
ADAPT Act (Accelerating the Development of Advanced Psychology Trainees Act)
Support the implementation of the Federal ADAPT Act which would strengthen the behavioral health workforce by allowing Medicare reimbursement for services provided by supervised psychology trainees. By supporting training programs and increasing clinician capacity, the bill aims to improve access to care, especially in rural and underserved communities.
Establishing Statutes of Limitation for Insurance Auditing & Recoupment Across Insurance Companies and Plans (e.g., Self-Funded/employer paid commercial plans currently have no statute of limitations)
A reasonable limit on insurance recoupments helps ensure the financial stability of behavioral health practices, particularly small and rural providers. Predictable recoupment policies reduce administrative burdens, support workforce retention, and help preserve access to mental health care across Texas.
Service Fees
Continue to monitor bills that pass the “fees of doing business” on to in-network providers, further reducing managed care reimbursements.
Protect Rural Access to Mental Health
Nearly 40% of U.S. hospitals operate at a loss, with rural facilities disproportionately affected by uncompensated care. TPA supports initiatives to maintain access to mental health services in rural areas of the state.
Protect Rights of Marginalized, Underserved Groups
Support policies that reduce barriers to mental health care and promote equitable access for historically marginalized, underserved, and rural populations.
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