Bill > S4286

Introduced Session

This bill establishes certain protections for health care professionals who receive behavioral health care and are seeking State licensure as health care professionals. This bill is intended to encourage healthcare professionals to seek behavioral health care without fear of licensing repercussions. The bill aims to strike a balance between ensuring patient safety and encouraging healthcare professionals to seek behavioral health treatment. Under the bill, no State board or agency that licenses health care professionals in the State is permitted to inquire into an applicant's history of receiving behavioral health care during the licensing or license renewal process, except when inquiring about a behavioral health condition that impairs the applicant's ability to practice health care safely. A State board or agency will limit any questions on any licensing or license renewal forms concerning the applicant's behavioral health to inquiries about current impairments affecting the applicant's ability to perform the essential functions of the professional role with reasonable skill and safety. A State board or agency may inquire whether an applicant has a current health condition, including a behavioral health condition that impairs the applicant's ability to practice health care safely. Such inquiry must include assurances that the applicant will not face board or agency action if the applicant is receiving treatment for a behavioral health care condition and not currently impaired. Any inquiry responses related to past or current behavioral health care provided to an applicant will remain confidential and, if there is no impairment to the applicant's ability to practice safely, such responses will not be used as the sole basis for denial of licensure or license renewal or imposition of a requirement by the board or agency that the applicant participate in a treatment program as a condition of licensure. The bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety, in collaboration with the Department of Health, to provide training to each State licensing board and agency and the board and agency's staff on how to handle behavioral health disclosures in a non-stigmatizing manner.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Vin Gopal (D)*,  Joe Vitale (D)*,  Patrick Diegnan (D),  Bob Singer (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 03/24/2025)

Official Document