SB 204 Summary

• Enacts sections 4757.50 and 4757.511 of the Revised Code to ratify and enter Ohio into the Counseling Compact, an interstate agreement allowing licensed professional counselors to practice across member states under a "Privilege to Practice."

• Establishes the Counseling Compact Commission as a national administrative body composed of one delegate from each member state's licensing board to oversee implementation and promulgate binding rules.

• Requires participating states to license and regulate counselors with 60 semester-hours (or 90 quarter-hours) of graduate coursework, a nationally recognized exam, supervised postgraduate experience, and criminal background checks for applicants.

• Allows licensed professional counselors holding valid unencumbered licenses in their home state to practice via telehealth or in-person services in other member states without obtaining separate licenses, subject to each remote state's laws and regulations.

• Authorizes remote states to take adverse actions against counselors' privilege to practice and establishes procedures for dispute resolution, compliance monitoring, and potential termination of non-compliant member states from the compact.