House File 2343 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2343
BY FRY
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the licensure of marital and family
2 therapists and mental health counselors and including
3 effective date provisions.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
TLSB 5869YH (4) 90
ss/ko
 H.F. 2343
1 Section 1. Section 154D.2, subsection 2, Code 2024, is
2 amended to read as follows:
3 2. The board shall not, by rule or other means, require
4 any in-person supervised clinical experience or require that
5 supervised clinical experience include live or recorded direct
6 observation of client interaction.
7 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 154D.8 Licensure by endorsement.
8 An applicant who has been a licensed marital and family
9 therapist or licensed mental health counselor under the laws
10 of another jurisdiction may file an application with the board
11 for licensure by endorsement. The board shall adopt rules
12 requiring an applicant for licensure by endorsement to do all
13 of the following:
14 1. Submit a completed application to the board.
15 2. Pay a licensure fee.
16 3. Show evidence that the jurisdiction in which the
17 applicant holds a license has licensure requirements similar to
18 the licensure requirements of this state.
19 4. a. Provide verification that the applicant holds a
20 license from another jurisdiction, which shall be sent directly
21 from the licensing entity in the other jurisdiction to the
22 board. The applicant must also disclose any public or pending
23 complaints against the applicant in any other jurisdiction.
24 b. In lieu of verification under paragraph “a”, the board
25 may allow verification using an internet-based system if the
26 verification provides all of the following:
27 (1) The name of the applicant.
28 (2) The date the applicant was initially licensed in the
29 jurisdiction.
30 (3) The applicant’s current licensure status.
31 (4) Any disciplinary action taken against the applicant.
32 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following, being deemed of
33 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment:
34 The section of this Act amending section 154D.2.
35 EXPLANATION
LSB 5869YH (4) 90
-1- ss/ko 1/2
 H.F. 2343
1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
2 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
3 This bill relates to the licensure of marital and family
4 therapists and mental health counselors. The bill prohibits
5 the board of behavioral science from requiring by rule or
6 other means that supervised clinical experience required for
7 licensure to practice marital and family therapy or mental
8 health counseling include live or recorded direct observation
9 of client interaction. This provision of the bill takes effect
10 upon enactment.
11 The bill allows a person licensed as a marital and family
12 therapist or mental health counselor in another jurisdiction
13 to apply for licensure by endorsement in this state. The
14 bill requires the board of behavioral science to adopt rules
15 requiring an applicant for licensure by endorsement to submit
16 an application, pay a licensure fee, show evidence that the
17 jurisdiction where the applicant holds a license has licensure
18 requirements similar to the licensure requirements of this
19 state, and provide verification that the applicant holds a
20 license from another jurisdiction.
LSB 5869YH (4) 90
-2- ss/ko 2/2


Statutes affected:
Introduced: 154D.2