Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07081 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	LCO 1 of 4
	3	+	LCO No. 5305 1 of 4
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5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 7081
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7081
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 5305
7	8
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
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	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(PH)
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12	19		AN ACT CONCERNING LICENSURE PORTABILITY FOR MARRIAGE
13	20		AND FAMILY THERAPISTS.
14	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	22		Assembly convened:
16	23
17	24		Section 1. Section 20-195c of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
18	25		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 2
19	26		(a) Each applicant for licensure as a marital and family therapist shall 3
20	27		present to the department satisfactory evidence that such applicant has: 4
21	28		(1) Completed a graduate degree program specializing in marital and 5
22	29		family therapy offered by a regionally accredited college or university 6
23	30		or an accredited postgraduate clinical training program accredited by 7
24	31		the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy 8
25	32		Education offered by a regionally accredited institution of higher 9
26	33		education; (2) completed a supervised practicum or internship with 10
27	34		emphasis in marital and family therapy supervised by the program 11
28	35		granting the requisite degree or by an accredited postgraduate clinical 12
29	36		training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for 13
30	37		Marriage and Family Therapy Education and offered by a regionally 14
31	38		accredited institution of higher education; (3) completed twenty-four 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 7081
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	41	+
	42	+
	43	+	LCO No. 5305 2 of 4
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32	45		months of relevant postgraduate experience, including (A) a minimum 16
33	46		of one thousand hours of direct client contact offering marital and 17
34	47		family therapy services subsequent to being awarded a master's degree 18
35		-	or doctorate or subsequent to the training year specified in subdivision 19 Substitute Bill No. 7081
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37		-
38		-	LCO 2 of 4
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	48	+	or doctorate or subsequent to the training year specified in subdivision 19
40	49		(2) of this subsection, and (B) one hundred hours of postgraduate 20
41	50		clinical supervision provided by a licensed marital and family therapist; 21
42	51		and (4) passed an examination prescribed by the department. The fee 22
43	52		shall be two hundred dollars for each initial application. 23
44	53		(b) Each applicant for licensure as a marital and family therapist 24
45	54		associate shall present to the department satisfactory evidence that such 25
46	55		applicant has completed a graduate degree program specializing in 26
47	56		marital and family therapy offered by a regionally accredited institution 27
48	57		of higher education or an accredited postgraduate clinical training 28
49	58		program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage 29
50	59		and Family Therapy Education and offered by a regionally accredited 30
51	60		institution of higher education. The fee shall be one hundred twenty-31
52	61		five dollars for each initial application. 32
53	62		(c) The department may grant licensure without examination, subject 33
54	63		to payment of fees with respect to the initial application, to any 34
55		-	applicant who is currently licensed or certified as (1) a marital or 35
56		-	marriage and family therapist in another state, territory or 36
57		-	commonwealth of the United States, or (2) a marital and family therapist 37
58		-	associate in another state, territory or commonwealth of the United 38
59		-	States, provided [such] the state, territory or commonwealth where such 39
60		-	marital and family therapist associate is currently licensed or certified 40
61		-	maintains licensure or certification standards which, in the opinion of 41
62		-	the department, are equivalent to or higher than the standards of this 42
63		-	state. No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant 43
64		-	against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the 44
65		-	subject of an unresolved complaint. 45
66		-	(d) (1) A license issued to a marital and family therapist issued under 46
67		-	this section may be renewed annually in accordance with the provisions 47
68		-	of section 19a-88. The fee for such renewal shall be two hundred dollars. 48
69		-	Each licensed marital and family therapist applying for license renewal 49
70		-	shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having 50
71		-	participated in continuing education programs. The commissioner shall 51
72		-	adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to (A) define basic 52 Substitute Bill No. 7081
	64	+	applicant who is currently licensed or certified as a marital or marriage 35
	65	+	and family therapist or a marital and family therapist associate in 36
	66	+	another state, territory or commonwealth of the United States. [, 37
	67	+	provided such state, territory or commonwealth maintains licensure or 38
	68	+	certification standards which, in the opinion of the department, are 39
	69	+	equivalent to or higher than the standards of this state.] No license shall 40
	70	+	be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional 41
	71	+	disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved 42
	72	+	complaint. 43
	73	+	(d) (1) A license issued to a marital and family therapist issued under 44
	74	+	this section may be renewed annually in accordance with the provisions 45
	75	+	of section 19a-88. The fee for such renewal shall be two hundred dollars. 46
	76	+	Each licensed marital and family therapist applying for license renewal 47
	77	+	Raised Bill No. 7081
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75		-	LCO 3 of 4
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77		-	requirements for continuing education programs, which shall include 53
78		-	not less than one contact hour of training or education each registration 54
79		-	period on the topic of cultural competency and, on and after January 1, 55
80		-	2016, not less than two contact hours of training or education during the 56
81		-	first renewal period in which continuing education is required and not 57
82		-	less than once every six years thereafter on the topic of mental health 58
83		-	conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans, 59
84		-	including (i) determining whether a patient is a veteran or family 60
85		-	member of a veteran, (ii) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic 61
86		-	stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (iii) suicide 62
87		-	prevention training, (B) delineate qualifying programs, (C) establish a 63
88		-	system of control and reporting, and (D) provide for waiver of the 64
89		-	continuing education requirement for good cause. 65
90		-	(2) A license issued to a marital and family therapist associate (A) 66
91		-	prior to July 1, 2023 shall expire on or before twenty-four months after 67
92		-	the date on which such license was issued, and [,] (B) on or after July 1, 68
93		-	2023 shall expire on or before twelve months after the date on which 69
94		-	such license was issued. Such license may be renewed not more than 70
95		-	two times if issued prior to July 1, 2023, and not more than three times 71
96		-	if issued on or after July 1, 2023, for twelve months in accordance with 72
97		-	the provisions of section 19a-88. The fee for such renewal shall be one 73
98		-	hundred twenty-five dollars. Each licensed marital and family therapist 74
99		-	associate applying for license renewal shall furnish evidence 75
100		-	satisfactory to the commissioner of having satisfied the continuing 76
101		-	education requirements prescribed in subdivision (1) of this subsection. 77
102		-	[(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, an applicant who 78
103		-	is currently licensed or certified as a marital or marriage and family 79
104		-	therapist in another state, territory or commonwealth of the United 80
105		-	States that does not maintain standards for licensure or certification that 81
106		-	are equivalent to or higher than the standards in this state may 82
107		-	substitute three years of licensed or certified work experience in the 83
108		-	practice of marital and family therapy, as defined in section 20-195a, in 84
109		-	lieu of the requirements of subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a) of 85
110		-	this section.] 86 Substitute Bill No. 7081
	81	+	LCO No. 5305 3 of 4
	82	+
	83	+	shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having 48
	84	+	participated in continuing education programs. The commissioner shall 49
	85	+	adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to (A) define basic 50
	86	+	requirements for continuing education programs, which shall include 51
	87	+	not less than one contact hour of training or education each registration 52
	88	+	period on the topic of cultural competency and, on and after January 1, 53
	89	+	2016, not less than two contact hours of training or education during the 54
	90	+	first renewal period in which continuing education is required and not 55
	91	+	less than once every six years thereafter on the topic of mental health 56
	92	+	conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans, 57
	93	+	including (i) determining whether a patient is a veteran or family 58
	94	+	member of a veteran, (ii) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic 59
	95	+	stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (iii) suicide 60
	96	+	prevention training, (B) delineate qualifying programs, (C) establish a 61
	97	+	system of control and reporting, and (D) provide for waiver of the 62
	98	+	continuing education requirement for good cause. 63
	99	+	(2) A license issued to a marital and family therapist associate (A) 64
	100	+	prior to July 1, 2023 shall expire on or before twenty-four months after 65
	101	+	the date on which such license was issued, and [,] (B) on or after July 1, 66
	102	+	2023 shall expire on or before twelve months after the date on which 67
	103	+	such license was issued. Such license may be renewed not more than 68
	104	+	two times if issued prior to July 1, 2023, and not more than three times 69
	105	+	if issued on or after July 1, 2023, for twelve months in accordance with 70
	106	+	the provisions of section 19a-88. The fee for such renewal shall be one 71
	107	+	hundred twenty-five dollars. Each licensed marital and family therapist 72
	108	+	associate applying for license renewal shall furnish evidence 73
	109	+	satisfactory to the commissioner of having satisfied the continuing 74
	110	+	education requirements prescribed in subdivision (1) of this subsection. 75
	111	+	[(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, an applicant who 76
	112	+	is currently licensed or certified as a marital or marriage and family 77
	113	+	therapist in another state, territory or commonwealth of the United 78
	114	+	States that does not maintain standards for licensure or certification that 79
	115	+	are equivalent to or higher than the standards in this state may 80
	116	+	Raised Bill No. 7081
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113		-	LCO 4 of 4
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115		-	[(f)] (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a person who 87
116		-	is a graduate of a graduate degree program or a postgraduate clinical 88
117		-	training program described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this 89
118		-	section may practice marital and family therapy for a period not greater 90
119		-	than one hundred twenty calendar days after the date such person 91
120		-	completed such program, provided such person works under the 92
121		-	clinical supervision of a licensed marital family therapist. 93
	120	+	LCO No. 5305 4 of 4
	121	+
	122	+	substitute three years of licensed or certified work experience in the 81
	123	+	practice of marital and family therapy, as defined in section 20-195a, in 82
	124	+	lieu of the requirements of subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection (a) of 83
	125	+	this section.] 84
	126	+	[(f)] (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a person who 85
	127	+	is a graduate of a graduate degree program or a postgraduate clinical 86
	128	+	training program described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this 87
	129	+	section may practice marital and family therapy for a period not greater 88
	130	+	than one hundred twenty calendar days after the date such person 89
	131	+	completed such program, provided such person works under the 90
	132	+	clinical supervision of a licensed marital family therapist. 91
122	133		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
123	134		sections:
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125	136		Section 1 October 1, 2025 20-195c
126	137
127		-	PH Joint Favorable Subst.
	138	+	Statement of Purpose:
	139	+	To allow the Department of Public Health to grant licensure without
	140	+	examination to any person who is currently licensed or certified as a
	141	+	marital or marriage and family therapist or a marital and family
	142	+	therapist associate in another state, territory or commonwealth of the
	143	+	United States.
	144	+
	145	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	146	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	147	+	underlined.]
128	148