House Bill No. 6835 is a comprehensive piece of legislation that introduces various revisions to public health statutes, with an effective date of October 1, 2023, except for certain provisions. The bill defines key terms related to health care facilities and providers, particularly focusing on the qualifications of surgical technologists. It sets criteria for employment in surgical technology services, including certification requirements and compliance documentation for health care facilities. The bill also addresses opioid prescription protocols, amends the Collaborative Care Model definition, provides for testing accommodations for social work licensure exams, repeals designations related to maternal mental health, and revises the application process for funds to support psychiatric or mental health services.

The bill includes insertions such as the term "health" to emphasize behavioral health, adds "and Prevention" to the HIV infection definition, and inserts "nationally" to reflect the scope of nursing school accrediting agencies. It enacts the Counseling Compact into law, facilitating interstate practice for licensed professional counselors. Deletions include the removal of "national" before "accrediting agencies" and the replacement of "section" with "subsection" for clarity. The bill also outlines the regulations for licensed professional counselors practicing in remote states, the establishment of the Counseling Compact Commission, and the procedures for public hearings, rulemaking, and emergency rule adoption by the commission. It addresses oversight, dispute resolution, enforcement, and the withdrawal process for states from the professional counseling compact. Additionally, the bill requires criminal history checks for professional counselor licensure applicants, allows for biennial or triennial hospital medical staff appointments, provides for stillbirth arrangements, declares homelessness a public health crisis, and amends licensure for marital and family therapists, including continuing education requirements and license renewal processes.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 20-191a, 7-36, 7-37, 7-38, 7-39, 7-40, 7-42, 7-44, 7-46, 7-51, 7-52, 7-55, 7-58, 7-65, 7-66, 7-67, 7-69, 7-71, 7-76, 20-14s
PH Joint Favorable: 20-191a, 7-36, 7-37, 7-38, 7-39, 7-40, 7-42, 7-44, 7-46, 7-51, 7-52, 7-55, 7-58, 7-65, 7-66, 7-67, 7-69, 7-71, 7-76, 20-14s
File No. 541: 20-191a, 7-36, 7-37, 7-38, 7-39, 7-40, 7-42, 7-44, 7-46, 7-51, 7-52, 7-55, 7-58, 7-65, 7-66, 7-67, 7-69, 7-71, 7-76, 20-14s
Public Act No. 23-195: 20-14s