02/03/2006 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

                 SB 177-PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:51:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON announced  CSSB 177(HES),  version G,  to be  up for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   DYSON  remarked   that  the   committee  has,   at  least                                                               
temporarily, abandoned  its intent  to use  this bill  to combine                                                               
two  of  the mental  health  boards.    He  said members  of  the                                                               
committee  are concerned  that one  impetus  of this  bill is  to                                                               
qualify more mental health professions for third-party payments.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ANNE HENRY,  Chair, Board  of Professional  Counselors, explained                                                               
that   this  bill   should  not   qualify   more  mental   health                                                               
professionals   for   third-party  payments   because   insurance                                                               
companies  make  reimbursement decisions  based  on  the type  of                                                               
license that a practitioner holds;  this bill will not change any                                                               
of the licenses that the state issues to mental health workers.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:57:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELTON moved  to report  CSSB 177(HES),  version G,  from                                                               
committee   with    attached   fiscal   notes    and   individual                                                               
recommendations.    There  were  no  objections  and  it  was  so                                                               
ordered.