As of September 1, 2017, House Bill 1508 requires that all entities providing educational or instructional programs that prepare a student for an occupation or vocation requiring a TDLR license to:
- Inform the student or program participant that eligibility for a TDLR license could be affected by the person’s criminal history;
- Notify students and participants that TDLR is responsible for having in place guidelines regarding a license applicant’s criminal history, and to include information on an applicant’s ability to be licensed under those guidelines;
- Provide students with information on other state or local restrictions that would affect the student’s eligibility for an occupational license issued by TDLR;
- Inform students of the student’s right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from TDLR;
- Provide all persons who enroll in their program with notice of the requirements as described above, regardless of whether or not the person has been convicted of a criminal offense.
An educational entity or training program operator who fails to provide this information to a person who is enrolled in their course may be liable for tuition or application fees paid by any student who is denied a TDLR license due to the existence of a criminal conviction.