HB1300 Summary

• Establishes provisional "associate" level licensure for marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists to expand access to mental health services, with associates working under supervision of fully licensed practitioners.

• Requires psychologist license applicants to complete a doctoral degree and one year of post-doctoral supervised experience in health service psychology before sitting for the licensing examination.

• Authorizes insurance reimbursement for services provided by supervised associate-level therapists and counselors, and supervised social work interns, at rates commensurate with their training level.

• Appropriates funds to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for one full-time office assistant position and database updates to implement the new license types.

• Effective July 1, 2024 for most provisions, with insurance reimbursement for Medicaid enrollees subject to federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approval.