Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

House File 107 - Introduced
                                  HOUSE FILE 107
                                  BY FRY
                            A BILL FOR
An Act relating to supervision requirements for licensed
  marital and family therapists, mental health counselors, and
  social workers, and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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    Section 1. Section 154C.3, Code 2021, is amended by adding
 the following new subsection:
    NEW SUBSECTION. 4. Supervision. The board shall not, by
 rule or other means, require that supervision be completed
 in-person as a condition for an applicant to receive a license,
 a reciprocal license, or a renewed license under this chapter.
    Sec. 2. Section 154D.2, Code 2021, is amended to read as
 follows:
    154D.2 Licensure —— marital and family therapy —— mental
 health counseling.
    1. An applicant for a license to practice marital and family
 therapy or mental health counseling shall be granted a license
 by the board when the applicant satisfies all of the following
 requirements:
    1. a. Possesses a master’s degree in marital and family
 therapy or mental health counseling, as applicable, consisting
 of at least sixty semester hours, or its equivalent, from a
 nationally accredited institution or from a program approved
 by the board.
    2. b. Has at least two years of supervised clinical
 experience or its equivalent as approved by the board.
 Standards for supervision, including the required
 qualifications for supervisors, shall be determined pursuant to
 the requirements in subsection 2 and by the board by rule.
    3. c. Passes an examination approved by the board.
    2. The board shall not, by rule or other means, require any
 of the following for the licensure or renewal of a license to
 practice marital or family therapy or mental health counseling:
    a. In-person supervision.
    b. Supervised clinical experience hours in excess of the
 hours required by the board of social work for the licensure
 of any class of social worker.
    Sec. 3. Section 154D.4, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
 2021, is amended to read as follows:
    b. A person who practices marital and family therapy or
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                                         H.F. 107
 mental health counseling under the supervision of a person
 licensed under this chapter as part of a clinical experience as
 described in section 154D.2, subsection 2 1, paragraph “b”.
    Sec. 4. BOARD OF SOCIAL WORK AND BOARD OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
 —— RULES. The board of social work and the board of behavioral
 science shall amend their administrative rules pursuant to
 chapter 17A to remove any requirement for supervised clinical
 experience and supervised professional practice to be completed
 in-person as a condition for the licensure of marital and
 family therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers
 pursuant to chapters 154C and 154D. The board of social work
 and the board of behavioral science shall replace all licensing
 requirements for in-person supervision with the ability to have
 supervision requirements completed electronically.
    Sec. 5. EMERGENCY RULES. The board of social work and board
 of behavioral science may adopt emergency rules under section
 17A.4, subsection 3, and section 17A.5, subsection 2, paragraph
 “b”, to implement the provisions of this Act and the rules
 shall be effective immediately upon filing unless a later date
 is specified in the rules. Any rules adopted in accordance
 with this section shall also be published as a notice of
 intended action as provided in section 17A.4.
    Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate
 importance, takes effect upon enactment.
                           EXPLANATION
         The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
          the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
    This bill relates to supervision requirements for certain
 licensed individuals and provides an effective date.
    The bill provides that the board of social work and the board
 of behavioral science shall not require that supervision of an
 applicant for a license as a social worker, marital or family
 therapist, or mental health counselor be completed in-person.
    The bill provides that the board of behavioral science shall
 not require supervised clinical experience hours for marital or
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                                H.F. 107
 family therapists or mental health counselors in excess of the
 hours required for social workers. The bill makes a conforming
 change to Code section 154D.4(2)(b).
    The bill directs the board of social work and the board
 of behavioral science to amend their administrative rules to
 remove any requirement for supervised clinical experience and
 supervised professional practice to be completed in-person as a
 condition for the licensure of marital and family therapists,
 mental health counselors, and social workers.
    The bill provides that the board of social work and the board
 of behavioral science may adopt emergency rules and creates an
 immediate effective date upon enactment.
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Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 154C.3, 154D.2, 154D.4