CS/HB 1161 Summary

• Requires registered interns in clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental health counseling to remain under supervision while maintaining registered intern status; intern registrations issued before June 30, 2011 expire July 1, 2016 and cannot be renewed, while those issued after expire 60 months from issuance.

• Prohibits individuals who previously held a provisional license or intern registration from applying for an intern registration or provisional license in the same profession.

• Revises education and experience requirements for clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, and mental health counselor licensure, reducing required direct client contact hours for marriage and family therapists from 400 to 180 hours.

• Provides for future repeal of dual licensure provisions for marriage and family therapists as of July 1, 2020.

• Removes exemption from continuing education requirements for certified master social workers and establishes cap of no more than 25 classroom hours of continuing education per year.