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Minutes for HB2288 - Committee on Health and Human Services
Short Title
Enacting the counseling compact to provide for interstate practice privileges for professional counselors.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 14, 2023
David Fye, Executive Director, Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB), provided testimony in support of HB2288 (Attachment 1). The bill would add Kansas to a multi state compact for practitioners of the clinical level of the professional counseling profession. If enacted, clinical professional counselors in Kansas would be able to apply to the Commission to receive privilege to practice in another state. It would also allow clinical level licensees in other compact states to apply to the commission to practice in Kansas. A timetable for joining the compact was provided. Joining the compact should have little impact on the Board on revenues to the agency. The Board encourages passage as it believes the bill would increase the number of services available to citizens in Kansas.
Laura Shaugnessy, Board Member, Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, provided testimony in support of HB2288 (Attachment 2). Ms. Shaugnessy provided details about the Interstate Counseling Compact.
Andrew Secor, President, Kansas Counseling Association, provided testimony in support of HB2288 (Attachment 3). The issue of counselor mobility and a client's ability to continue services with moving outside their provider's service area are issues well know to people in the mental healthcare field. This led to the decision to create the Compact. The Compact creates an agreement between member states to allow privilege to practice in each other's state. It does not impact the scope of practice defined by the member state. The current standards and established specific requirements to be eligible were listed. The goal of the Compact is to eliminate barriers to practice and client care by ensuring cooperation among member states. As of today 17 states have enacted legislation to join with another 17 having pending legislation.
Dominique Marsalek, Government Affairs Specialist, American Counseling Association, provided testimony in support of HB2288 (Attachment 4). The bill will allow Kansas to join 17 states that have enacted the Compact. The compact utilizes a "mutual recognition" model of interstate practice. A privilege to practice is simply an additional privilege that a Kansas counselor can opt into after being licensed in the state. The Compact preserves the sovereignty and authority through the existing state regulatory structure. The Compact is revenue and cost neutral. A list was provide that showed how the Compact benefits clients and the counseling profession.
The following providing testimony in support of HB2288:
Sherry Crow, Department Chair, Fort Hays State University (Attachment 5)
Deneen Pennington, Executive Director, National Career Development Association (Attachment 6)
Todd Frye, Chair, Department of Counseling, MidAmerica Nazarene University (Attachment 7)
Philip Mullins, Counseling Program Coordinator, Wichita State University (Attachment 8)
Claudia Tucker, Vice President Government Affairs, Teledoc Health (Attachment 9)
