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Committee approves licensure rules for genetic counselors following extended discussion
Summary
The committee approved regulations establishing licensure standards for genetic counselors under Act 187 of 2024 after board members and a practicing counselor described the profession and answered members' questions.
The House Regulations and Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee approved regulations to implement licensure for genetic counselors as required by Act 187 of 2024.
The rules, advanced by the committee on a roll‑call vote, set minimum qualifications and continuing‑education and supervision standards for the newly regulated profession. Amy Dobson, a genetic counselor with the Greenwood Genetic Center who serves on the board, described genetic counselors as “highly trained, medical professionals who work with families to understand complex medical information.”
Why it matters: Licensure defines the qualifications and practice standards for genetic counselors in South Carolina and establishes enforcement and consumer‑protection safeguards as the profession becomes regulated under state law.
What the committee heard and approved
Board member testimony: Amy Dobson told the committee genetic counselors work across the lifespan and in specialties such as pediatric genetics and cancer genetics; she said counseling involves both education about complex genetic information and psychosocial support for families. The transcript records Dobson explaining how prenatal counselors work with maternal‑fetal medicine teams and how counseling is focused on education and diagnosis rather than directing choices about pregnancy.
Education and credentialing: Committee members asked about training and Dobson replied that genetic counselors typically complete a bachelor’s degree followed by a two‑year master’s program with clinical rotations. The regulation codifies minimum requirements for licensure, documentation standards for supervisors of limited licenses and reinstatement rules for lapsed licenses.
Vote: The committee approved Document 53‑11 by roll call. The transcript records a 7 to 1 vote: Mister Anderson (yes), Mister Duffy (no), Mister Hart (yes), Miss Henderson Myers (yes), Mister Long (yes), Mister Neese (yes), Mister Teeple (yes) and Mister Bradley (yes). The document was described in the hearing as reflecting the statute’s requirements and the board’s work to define the profession’s scope.
Ending: With the committee vote, the licensure rules move forward to the next administrative steps required for final adoption and implementation.
