By: Giddings (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 1508          (In the Senate - Received from the House April 18, 2017;   May 2, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Business &   Commerce; May 22, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable   Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;   May 22, 2017, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1508 By:  Campbell     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to notice to applicants to and enrollees in certain   educational programs regarding the consequences of a criminal   conviction on eligibility for an occupational license.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 53, Occupations Code, is amended by   adding Subchapter E to read as follows:   SUBCHAPTER E. NOTICE OF POTENTIAL INELIGIBILITY FOR LICENSE          Sec. 53.151.  DEFINITIONS. Notwithstanding Section 53.001,   in this subchapter, "licensing authority" and "occupational   license" have the meanings assigned to those terms by Section   58.001.           Sec. 53.152.  NOTICE BY ENTITIES PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL   PROGRAMS. (a) An entity that provides an educational program to   prepare an individual for issuance of an initial occupational   license shall notify each applicant to and enrollee in the   educational program of:                (1)  the potential ineligibility of an individual who   has been convicted of an offense for issuance of an occupational   license on completion of the educational program;                (2)  the current guidelines issued under Section 53.025   by any licensing authority that may issue an occupational license   to an individual who completes the educational program;                (3)  any other state or local restriction or guideline   used by a licensing authority described by Subdivision (2) to   determine the eligibility of an individual who has been convicted   of an offense for an occupational license issued by the licensing   authority; and                 (4)  the right to request a criminal history evaluation   letter under Section 53.102.           (b)  The entity shall provide the notice required under   Subsection (a) to each applicant and enrollee regardless of whether   the applicant or enrollee has been convicted of an offense.          Sec. 53.153.  REFUND AND ORDERED PAYMENTS. A licensing   authority that determines that an entity regulated by the licensing   authority has failed to provide the notice required by Section   53.152 to an individual entitled to receive the notice and that the   individual's application for an occupational license for which the   entity's educational program prepares the individual was denied   because the individual has been convicted of an offense shall order   the entity to:                (1)  refund the amount of any tuition paid by the   individual to the entity; and                (2)  pay to the individual an amount equal to the total   of the following, as applicable:                      (A)  the amount of any application fees paid by   the individual to the licensing authority; and                      (B)  the amount of any examination fees paid by   the individual to the licensing authority or an examination   provider approved by the licensing authority.          SECTION 2.  Section 53.152, Occupations Code, as added by   this Act, applies only with respect to:                (1)  an individual who is enrolled in an educational   program subject to that section on or after the effective date of   this Act; and                (2)  an applicant for enrollment in an educational   program subject to that section who applies for enrollment in the   program on or after that date.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.     * * * * *