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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2549 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1187 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | James K. Hawkins |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to increasing consumer access to licensed rehabilitation counselors. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/16/2025 1 of 3 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2549 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1187 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1187) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | James K. Hawkins relative to the definition of licensed mental health professionals under certain |
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| 20 | 20 | | insurance laws. Financial Services. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 1036 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act relative to increasing consumer access to licensed rehabilitation counselors. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 22 of chapter 32A of the General Laws, is hereby amended by |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2striking out the last paragraph, as most recently amended by section 1 of chapter 80 of the acts of |
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| 33 | 33 | | 32000, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4 For the purposes of this section, "licensed mental health professional" shall |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5mean a licensed physician who specializes in the practice of psychiatry, a licensed psychologist, |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6a licensed independent clinical social worker, a licensed mental health counselor, a licensed |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7nurse mental health clinical specialist, a licensed marriage and family therapist or a licensed |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8rehabilitation counselor within the lawful scope of practice for such therapist. 2 of 3 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9 SECTION 2. Section 47B of chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10striking out the next to last paragraph, as most recently amended by section 2 of chapter 80 of the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11acts of 2000, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-- |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12 For the purposes of this section, "licensed mental health professional" shall |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13mean a licensed physician who specializes in the practice of psychiatry, a licensed psychologist, |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14a licensed independent clinical social worker, a licensed mental health counselor, a licensed |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15nurse mental health clinical specialist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16rehabilitation counselor within the lawful scope of practice for such therapist. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17 SECTION 3. Section 8A of chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18striking out the next to last paragraph, as most recently amended by section 4 of chapter 80 of the |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19acts of 2000, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-- |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20 For the purposes of this section, "licensed mental health professional" shall |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21mean a licensed physician who specializes in the practice of psychiatry, a licensed psychologist, |
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| 52 | 52 | | 22a licensed independent clinical social worker, a licensed mental health counselor, a licensed |
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| 53 | 53 | | 23nurse mental health clinical specialist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed |
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| 54 | 54 | | 24rehabilitation counselor within the lawful scope of practice for such therapist. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 25 SECTION 4. Section 4A of 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out |
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| 56 | 56 | | 26the next to last paragraph, as most recently amended by section 6 of chapter 80 of the acts of |
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| 57 | 57 | | 272000, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-- |
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| 58 | 58 | | 28 For the purposes of this section, "licensed mental health professional" shall |
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| 59 | 59 | | 29mean a licensed physician who specializes in the practice of psychiatry, a licensed psychologist, |
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| 60 | 60 | | 30a licensed independent clinical social worker, a licensed mental health counselor, a licensed 3 of 3 |
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| 61 | 61 | | 31nurse mental health clinical specialist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed |
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| 62 | 62 | | 32rehabilitation counselor within the lawful scope of practice for such therapist. |
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| 63 | 63 | | 33 SECTION 5. Section 4M of 176G of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking |
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| 64 | 64 | | 34out the next to last paragraph, as most recently amended by section 10 of chapter 80 of the acts |
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| 65 | 65 | | 35of 2000, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-- |
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| 66 | 66 | | 36 For the purposes of this section, "licensed mental health professional" shall |
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| 67 | 67 | | 37mean a licensed physician who specializes in the practice of psychiatry, a licensed psychologist, |
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| 68 | 68 | | 38a licensed independent clinical social worker, a licensed mental health counselor, a licensed |
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| 69 | 69 | | 39nurse mental health clinical specialist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed |
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| 70 | 70 | | 40rehabilitation counselor within the lawful scope of practice for such therapist. |
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