SB1655 - Counseling Compact Act

• Illinois enters into the Counseling Compact, an interstate agreement to facilitate licensed professional counselors (LPCs) practicing across state lines while improving public access to counseling services.

• Establishes the Counseling Compact Commission as the administrative body to oversee the Compact, with one delegate per member state selected by that state's licensing board.

• Allows LPCs with valid home state licenses and unencumbered credentials to obtain a "Privilege to Practice" in other member states without obtaining separate state licenses, subject to each remote state's laws and regulations.

• Creates a coordinated data system to track licensure, adverse actions, and investigative information across member states, with mandatory reporting of discipline and investigations.

• Effective immediately upon enactment; the Compact becomes fully operational once ten states have enacted it, with the Commission then developing rules for implementation.