The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council oversees social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists under one roof, and as of early 2025 it put one shared requirement under review: the cultural-diversity continuing education rule. If you are licensed under BHEC, this is worth tracking, because a single rewrite ripples across three professions at once.
How the rule works today, profession by profession
The label and hour count differ slightly depending on your license:
- LCSWs owe 30 hours every two years, including 6 hours of ethics and a 3-hour distinct-population / cultural diversity component. That cultural piece is the one under BHEC review.
- LPCs owe 24 hours every two years, including 6 ethics and 3 hours of cultural diversity or competency, plus passing the Texas jurisprudence exam each period.
- LMFTs owe 30 hours every two years, including 6 ethics and 3 hours of cultural diversity or competency, with a telehealth course for those who provide it.
All three renew biennially by the last day of the licensee's birth month. Full breakdowns live in the LCSW ethics CE comparison, the LMFT law and ethics overview, and our requirement pages.
What "under review" actually means
BHEC reviewing a rule does not mean it vanishes. It usually means the council is reconsidering scope, hour count, or how broadly "distinct population" or "cultural diversity" is defined. Until a final rule is adopted, the current requirement stands and you should keep meeting it. The smart move during a review period is to complete a course that satisfies the existing rule rather than gambling on a change that may not land before your renewal. Confirm the current language with the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners or the relevant BHEC board.
Cultural competency is a moving target nationally
Texas is not the only state rethinking this. Cultural-competency mandates vary widely in what boards mean by them — what boards actually mean by cultural competency CE walks through the range, and it connects to related mandates like implicit bias CME by state and LGBTQ cultural-competency CE. Oregon, for instance, requires a defined cultural-competency course for nurses, while Texas frames it as serving a distinct population.
The ethics and jurisprudence pieces that do not change
Whatever happens to the cultural-diversity rule, the ethics requirement is stable — 6 hours for all three professions, part of the near-universal ethics mandate. And LPCs still face the Texas jurisprudence exam alongside CE, which passing can count as one ethics hour. Do not let a pending change distract you from the requirements that are not in flux.
What to do while the rule is in review
Meet the current cultural-diversity requirement as written for your license type. Keep your ethics hours and, for LPCs, your jurisprudence exam current. Watch BHEC for a final rule rather than acting on a proposal. Texas is also adjusting requirements for other professions — physicians, dentists, and LVNs all have their own quirks worth a look.
If you would rather not monitor a rulemaking process yourself, we will track it for your renewal. White Glove CME maps your BHEC requirements — cultural diversity included — against your birth-month renewal for a flat $99 per license renewal. We plan only; we do not grant CE or access your BHEC account. See pricing or tell us your license type and renewal month. Browse the Texas overview or the Texas LCSW page.
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Stop guessing what CME you need. Tell us your license type, state, and renewal date, and we'll map exactly which continuing-education hours and mandated topics you need — and by when. Flat $99 per plan.