| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | FOR CITIZENS IN NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | FOR CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING BOARDS . 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | to read: 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | "Article 18J. 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | "Mental Health Professionals Licensure Reciprocity. 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | "§ 90-270.200. Title; purpose. 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | This Article shall be known as and may be cited as the "Mental Health Licensure Recognition 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | Act." The purpose of this Article is to improve access to mental health care professionals for the 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | citizens of North Carolina through reciprocity with other states. 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | "§ 90-270.201. Definitions. 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | The following definitions apply in this Article: 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | (1) Licensed clinical mental health counselor associate. – As defined in 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | G.S. 90-330. 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | (2) Licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor. – As defined in 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | G.S. 90-330. 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | (3) Licensed marriage and family therapist. – As defined in G.S. 90-270.47. 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | (4) Licensed marriage and family therapy associate. – As defined in 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | G.S. 90-270.47. 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | (5) Licensed mental health professional. – A licensed clinical mental health 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | counselor associate, licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | licensed marriage and family therapy associate, licensed marriage and family 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | (6) Psychiatrist. – Licensed in accordance with Article 1 of this Chapter. 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | (7) Psychologist. – As defined in G.S. 90-270.136. 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | "§ 90-270.202. Reciprocity; licensure. 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | (a) A licensed mental health professional licensed or certified in another State shall be 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | able to practice in their respective scopes of licensure in this State under the appropriate licensing 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | board in accordance with this Article. A licensed mental health professional seeking to qualify 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | for licensure under this Article shall comply with the following criteria: 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | (1) Apply for licensure with the appropriate licensing board. 34 |
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| 46 | 47 | | (2) Pay any appropriate fees set by statute or rule for the application and criminal 35 |
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| 49 | 54 | | (3) Comply with any application requirements under Chapter 93B of the General 1 |
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| 50 | 55 | | Statutes. 2 |
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| 51 | 56 | | (4) Provide a social security number to the licensing board. 3 |
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| 52 | 57 | | (5) Has engaged in the active practice of the occupation for which the person is 4 |
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| 53 | 58 | | seeking a license or certification from the occupational licensing board in this 5 |
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| 54 | 59 | | State for at least two of the five years preceding the date of the application 6 |
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| 55 | 60 | | under this section. 7 |
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| 56 | 61 | | (6) Has not committed any act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted 8 |
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| 57 | 62 | | grounds for refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license to practice that 9 |
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| 58 | 63 | | occupation in this State at the time the act was committed and has no pending 10 |
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| 59 | 64 | | complaints. 11 |
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| 60 | 65 | | (b) No later than 60 days after receipt of an application from a licensed mental health 12 |
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| 61 | 66 | | professional under this Article, an occupational licensing board shall either issue a license or 13 |
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| 62 | 67 | | certification or notify the applicant when the applicant does not qualify under this Article for 14 |
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| 63 | 68 | | licensure or certification. If the applicant has a pending complaint in another jurisdiction, the 15 |
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| 64 | 69 | | occupational licensing board shall notify the applicant of the refusal for licensure under this 16 |
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| 65 | 70 | | section. 17 |
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| 66 | 71 | | (c) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to supersede or invalidate any existing 18 |
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| 67 | 72 | | interstate compact or reciprocity agreement, including Articles 24A and 18H of this Chapter, 19 |
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| 68 | 73 | | entered into by the State or an occupational licensing board that licenses or certifies applicants 20 |
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| 69 | 74 | | pursuant to this Article." 21 |
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| 70 | 75 | | SECTION 2. The Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, North 22 |
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| 71 | 76 | | Carolina Psychology Board, North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board, and 23 |
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| 72 | 77 | | the North Carolina Medical Board shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this act. 24 |
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| 73 | 78 | | SECTION 3. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 25 |
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