HB 5444 Summary

• Requires art therapists to obtain a state license from the Department of Public Health effective October 1, 2019, with applicants needing a graduate degree in art therapy and current certification from the Art Therapy Credentials Board.

• Prohibits unlicensed individuals from using the title "art therapist" or "licensed art therapist"; violators face class D felony charges with each patient contact constituting a separate offense.

• Establishes initial application fee of $315 and annual renewal fee of $190; allows temporary permits valid up to 365 days for degree holders under general supervision of a licensed art therapist for a $50 fee.

• Exempts from licensure requirements those providing art therapy within their existing professional scope without holding themselves out as art therapists, and students in approved art therapy programs under direct supervision.

• Adds art therapist to the list of professions regulated by the Department of Public Health without a separate licensing board, subjecting the profession to uniform disciplinary standards and grounds including incompetence, fraud, substance abuse, and falsification of records.