summary
Introduced
09/08/2025
09/08/2025
In Committee
09/08/2025
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)
Official Document
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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