ON APRIL 1, 2024, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2004, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, do the following:
(1) Add licensed professional counselors, licensed marital and family therapists, and licensed clinical pastoral therapists to the present law description of a "medical practitioner";
(2) Require the board of professional counselors, marital and family therapists, and clinical pastoral therapists ("board"), to choose one of its members president, one vice-president, and one secretary-treasurer thereof, at an annual meeting, at such place as may be selected or designated by the board. The board may meet more often if necessary, in the discretion of the board, at such times and places as it may deem proper, for the examination of applicants and for the transaction of any business that may come before it;
(3) Require the board to review the credentials of licensure of professional counselor applicants to determine if they are eligible for licensure, upon payment of a nonrefundable fee as set by the board;
(4) Require the board to license as professional counselor applicants who satisfy the requirements of state law relative to fees, qualifications, educational and examination requirements, and professional licensure, and establish by rule any additional qualifications of the applicants necessary for the practice of professional counseling as provided in the bill;
(5) Require the board to license as marital and family therapist applicants who satisfy the requirements of state law relative to fees, qualifications, educational and examination requirements, and professional licensure, or satisfy the requirements of reciprocity; and
(6) Require an applicant for licensure as a professional counselor to pay the board a nonrefundable fee as set by the board and to satisfy the board that the applicant (i) has a conferred graduate degree in counseling or a closely related field; (ii) has obtained a total of 60 graduate hours in counseling or a closely related field; (iii) has completed a supervised field experience as either a practicum or internship; (iv) has had at least two years of professional experience of a type judged to be acceptable by the board subsequent to being granted a graduate degree and has not violated state law relative to professional licensure; (v) has passed the examination offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors or such other examination approved by the board; (vi) has passed the Tennessee jurisprudence exam; and (vii) has met any additional criteria of the board established by rule.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 63-1-201(2), 63-1-201