Opponents of the legislation fear that replacing professional counselors with unlicensed chaplains could worsen the state's already severe mental health crisis.
Under Senate Bill 763, school districts could use public funds to hire unlicensed chaplains to work alongside counselors, psychologists and other professional mental health workers,Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who's repeatedly sided with evangelical Christians, is widely expected to sign the measure into law.
However, Democrats and civil-rights groups argued that the chaplains could exacerbate the state's already significant mental health woes since the chaplains wouldn't be required to have any training in counseling children. Further, opponents of the bill, which was pushed by national conservative Christian groups, said it violates the Constitution by allowing clergy to force religion on students.
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