HOUSE BILL NO. 126                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Board of Professional                                                                              
     Counselors; and relating to licensing of associate                                                                         
     counselors."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:33:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RACHAEL   GUNN,   STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE   STANLEY   WRIGHT,                                                                    
introduced  the  legislation.  She   stated  that  the  bill                                                                    
established an  associate counselor designation,  within the                                                                    
counseling profession. She explained  that it provided early                                                                    
career  pathways  while   under  supervision  while  working                                                                    
toward full  licensure. The change allowed  increased access                                                                    
to mental health services  by providing associate counselors                                                                    
to bill some insurance companies.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:35:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilson  MOVED to ADOPT the  committee substitute for                                                                    
HB 126, Work Draft 33-LS0405\R (Klein/Gunther, 4/25/24).                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEN  ALPER,  STAFF,  SENATOR   DONNY  OLSON,  addressed  the                                                                    
Summary of Changes (copy on file):                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Change 1: Adds language  in several other statutes that                                                                    
     list   different    health   care    providers,   their                                                                    
     definitions, and  their responsibilities, to  include a                                                                    
     reference to  "associate counselors." This is  found in                                                                    
     Sections 2,  13, 16,  17, 18, and  19 of  the committee                                                                    
     substitute.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Change  2: Changes  the requirements  for the  Board of                                                                    
     Marital  and  Family  Therapy to  issue  a  license  by                                                                    
     removing  the  requirement  for a  specific  number  of                                                                    
     courses. It  retains the requirement for  the number of                                                                    
     semester  or quarter  hours of  course work.  Clarifies                                                                    
     that  the required  clinical practice  can  be in  this                                                                    
     state or another jurisdiction.  Adds a requirement that                                                                    
     the 100  required hours of individual  supervision must                                                                    
     be approved  by the board. Adds  the board's discretion                                                                    
     to  extend a  license  for  supervised practice  beyond                                                                    
     four years  because of extenuating  circumstances. This                                                                    
     is  found  in  Sections  9,  10,  11,  and  12  of  the                                                                    
     committee substitute.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Change  3: Extends  current  law  that protects  health                                                                    
     care providers  from civil damages to  include services                                                                    
     provided through  telehealth, so  long as  the provider                                                                    
     was located at a medical facility as already described                                                                     
     in law, or a private office, and was acting within the                                                                     
     Senate Finance Committee 3 04/29/24 1:32 P.M.                                                                              
     scope of the provider's responsibilities at the                                                                            
     relevant location. This is found in Sections 14 and 15                                                                     
     of the committee substitute.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Change 4: The above changes all include changes to the                                                                     
     bill's title. Should this bill go to the Senate Floor,                                                                     
     it will be accompanied by a title change resolution.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bishop noted that Senator Giessel had worked on the                                                                     
companion bill.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:38:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JANE CONWAY, STAFF, SENATOR CATHY GIESSEL, spoke in support                                                                     
of the committee substitute.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson REMOVED his objection. There being NO                                                                            
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
HB 126 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                              
consideration.