Mississippi Senate Bill SB2916

Mississippi 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/22
• Refer: 1/17/22
• Failed: 2/1/22

Caption

Professional Counseling Compact; enact.

Impact

The Compact allows for the use of telehealth to expand access to counseling services, particularly beneficial for remote or underserved populations. It also supports military families by allowing counselors to maintain their licenses regardless of relocation due to service. This flexibility is seen as critical in ensuring that active duty military members and their spouses can easily transition their professional practices without unnecessary barriers.

Summary

Senate Bill 2916 seeks to enact the Professional Counseling Compact, which enables Mississippi to join other states in facilitating the interstate practice of licensed professional counselors. The primary goal of the Compact is to improve access to professional counseling services throughout member states and to preserve public health and safety through state licensure authority. By mutual recognition of licenses, the Compact is designed to eliminate the need for licensed counselors to hold multiple licenses across states, thus simplifying the regulatory process for counselors who work in more than one state.

Contention

Though generally supported, there are concerns regarding the standardization of counseling licensure requirements across states, which could lead to variances in the quality of care provided. Critics may argue that this could undermine state-specific regulations that cater to local needs. Furthermore, the adequacy of protections during adverse actions taken against counselors across various states may also be a point of contention as regulatory frameworks differ among states.