Texas will design its own psychology licensing exam after legislature funds pilot

Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council Chair John Balamowitz announced on June 24 that the 2025 state budget signed by the governor included funding for the council to begin designing a Texas psychology licensing exam.

Balamowitz said the council will decide “what should it look like, how should it function, what are the things that it should test,” and that staff will seek input from stakeholders across the state and nation as the work proceeds.

Why it matters: The move responds to concerns about the national Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and rising costs linked to licensure testing. Designing a state exam could change how psychologists are licensed in Texas and affect requirements for applicants and graduates from Texas universities.

The council chair said the Legislature "funded us to go ahead and begin designing our own exam," characterizing the appropriation as a legislative vote of confidence. He recalled earlier legal and policy steps the council had taken — including filing and later withdrawing an antitrust complaint and building a multi‑state coalition — before the Legislature directed funding for a state effort.

Balamowitz said the council will try to "make sure that it is something that is not Texas only" by seeking input from other states, while noting Texas is accountable to its legislators because the funds come from the Texas budget. He said cost and whether the test measures relevant skills are likely to be central concerns during design.

Will Francis, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, Texas & Louisiana chapter, noted during public comment that the Legislature also provided money to the social work board to explore a Spanish‑language master's‑level exam; he described that step as a potential first for a state and praised the Legislature’s action on testing initiatives generally.

What was not decided: The council did not announce an implementation timeline, a contract partner, an estimated dollar amount for the exam design, or whether passage on a Texas test would be accepted outside Texas. Balamowitz said those specifics will be developed during the design process and that the council will be accountable to the Legislature for the use of funds.

Background and context: Council members described a multi‑year history of engagement with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the EPPP process, and said ASPPB paused its EPPP‑2 rollout in late 2024. The chair said Texas earlier filed an antitrust complaint but withdrew it after ASPPB reversed course; Texas and other states have since discussed exam design and standards.

Next steps: The council said staff will begin designing the exam with stakeholder input and report back to the council and Legislature as work progresses. The council urged interested stakeholders to watch for invitations to provide input.

Sources and evidence: Chair John Balamowitz introduced the budget update and described legislative action during the council meeting on June 24; Will Francis made public comment about parallel funding for a social‑work exam during public comment at the same meeting.