02/12/2002 09:57 AM Senate FIN

     CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 257(L&C)                                                                                            
     "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of                                                                     
     Professional Counselors; and relating to licensing of                                                                      
     professional counselors."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This  was the first  hearing  for this  bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DEBORAH GRUNDMAN,  staff to Senator Stevens, detailed  the specifics                                                            
of SB 257. She informed  that the Division of Legislative Budget and                                                            
Audit report  [copy on file] recommends  continuation of  the Board.                                                            
She noted that the audit  also recommends the merger of the Board of                                                            
Professional Counselors  and the Board of Marital and Family Therapy                                                            
into a  "single oversight  and licensing  Board." She informed  that                                                            
Division  of Legislative  Budget and Audit  also recommends  similar                                                            
sunset dates  for the two  boards in order  to address the  possible                                                            
merger.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Grundman noted  Section 2 of the committee substitute  addresses                                                            
some  changes  in  the  educational  requirements   of professional                                                             
counselors at the request of the Board and the Department.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
ANN HENRY,  Chair, Board of Professional  Counselors, Department  of                                                            
Community and Economic  Development informed that Committee that the                                                            
division supports the extension of the Board.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PAT DAVIDSON,  Legislative  Auditor,  Legislative  Budget and  Audit                                                            
Committee,  Division of  Legislative Audit,  notified the  Committee                                                            
that the Audit report did  recommend extension of the Board to allow                                                            
time to merge  "two very similar groups."  She clarified  each group                                                            
would  have their  own  separate  licensing  statute but  "would  be                                                            
controlled  by one  Board." She  continued this  recommendation  was                                                            
"based on effectiveness  and economy of scale." She noted the merger                                                            
"would  not result  in any substantial  impact  on costs  associated                                                            
with either of those boards."                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Davidson  stated   all  behavioral  science  boards   including                                                            
Professional    Counselors,   Marital    and   Family   Therapists,                                                             
Professional  Social Workers,  and  Psychologists "would  be up  for                                                            
review at the same time" in the year 2005.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  inquired if there were  any objections to  the merger                                                            
of "these two disciplines."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Davidson  reported  the Division  conducted  surveys during  the                                                            
audit period.  She informed there were no strong disagreements  from                                                            
professional   counselors  or  from   marital  and  family   therapy                                                            
counselors;  however  psychologists   "strongly  objected  to  being                                                            
combined with either of those boards."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Amendment   #1:  This  amendment   would   delete  "completing   the                                                            
requirement  of" and insert "earning  the degree required  under" on                                                            
page 2, line 19, Section 2(a)(6).                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Leman  offered a motion to adopt Amendment  #1. He explained                                                            
this  amendment  allows  counselors   to begin  earning   supervised                                                            
experience  as soon  as they complete  their  education" instead  of                                                            
having  to  wait  until  they  complete   their  graduate  hours  of                                                            
training.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Reardon  informed the Committee  this amendment is supported  by                                                            
the Board  and the Division  of Occupational  Licensing. She  stated                                                            
this amendment  would allow it to be "more feasible"  for people who                                                            
need to work while they are obtaining graduate hours.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  exampled that the effect  of this amendment  would be                                                            
to allow someone to do "moonlighting."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Reardon   characterized  the   language  as  clarifying   "when                                                            
someone's   supervised   experience   would   start   counting   for                                                            
licensure."  She stated  current law  requires people  to get  3,000                                                            
hours of  supervised experience,  in addition  to a 60-hours  master                                                            
degree  requirement.  She noted  this  amendment would  allow  those                                                            
people  who  have  a Masters  degree  with  less  than  60-hours  of                                                            
required   degree  time   to  work  toward   getting  that   60-hour                                                            
requirement.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SFIN 02 # 7, Side B 10:47 AM                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Reardon  continued  that  with this  amendment a  person with  a                                                            
Master's degree  could count hours as "supervised  hours" while they                                                            
were working toward the 60-hour requirement.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Amendment #1 was ADOPTED.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Leman offered  a motion  to report  CS  SB257 (FIN),  22-LS                                                            
1336\J from Committee with  the previous fiscal note of $51,400 from                                                            
the Department of Community and Economic Development.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, the bill MOVED from Committee.