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MA H4456

MA H4456
Expanding licensure opportunity for school counselors


summary

Introduced
09/08/2025
In Committee
09/08/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

194th General Court

Bill Summary

Expanding licensure opportunity for school counselors

AI Summary

This bill expands licensure opportunities for school counselors and other specialized instructional support personnel seeking to become licensed mental health counselors. The legislation modifies existing requirements by allowing graduate coursework and clinical experiences from school-based roles to count towards mental health counselor licensure. Specifically, the bill permits applicants to apply graduate credits earned in school counseling programs (even if the program is less than 60 credits) towards licensure requirements. Additionally, it requires applicants to complete evidence-based suicide prevention training and provides detailed supervision requirements, stipulating that at least 200 hours of supervised clinical experience are needed, with 100 of those hours involving individual supervision from a qualified clinician. The bill also explicitly allows specialized instructional support personnel, including school counselors, to sit for the written or oral examination for mental health counselor licensure, thereby creating a more accessible pathway for professionals in educational settings to transition into licensed mental health counseling roles.

Committee Categories

Budget and Finance

Sponsors (5)

Other Sponsors (1)

Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure (J)

Last Action

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (on 09/08/2025)

bill text


bill summary

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bill summary

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bill summary

Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4456
BillText https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4456.pdf
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