Relating to the licensing of certain social workers; imposing a fee.

HB 4261 creates alternative pathways for social workers in Texas who have failed the licensing exam twice or more. It requires the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council to establish non-exam methods to assess competency, including setting a fee for these alternative evaluations. The bill mandates the Council to form a stakeholder work group of social work experts to recommend these alternatives by January 1, 2026, with rules to be adopted by that date. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, directly affecting licensed social workers seeking to obtain or maintain their credentials after repeated exam failures.