Relating to the licensure of marital and family therapists and mental health counselors and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to the licensure of marital and family therapists and mental health counselors. The bill prohibits the board of behavioral science from requiring by rule or other means that supervised clinical experience required for licensure to practice marital and family therapy or mental health counseling include live or recorded direct observation of client interaction. This provision of the bill takes effect upon enactment. The bill allows a person licensed as a marital and family therapist or mental health counselor in another jurisdiction to apply for licensure by endorsement in this state. The bill requires the board of behavioral science to adopt rules requiring an applicant for licensure by endorsement to submit an application, pay a licensure fee, show evidence that the jurisdiction where the applicant holds a license has licensure requirements similar to the licensure requirements of this state, and provide verification that the applicant holds a license from another jurisdiction.