Committee advances bill to create optional registry for behavior analysts; oversight to sit with state psychology board

The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted to advance a bill that would create an optional Arkansas registry for behavior analysts and give the state psychology board oversight of registrants.

Representative Clowney, sponsor of the bill, said the measure addresses a gap in state oversight for providers who work with children with autism. "If parents have concerns, have issues, have complaints, with the care that their children have received, There is no Arkansas based board that provides oversight of these practitioners," Clowney said. She told the committee the previous mandatory-licensure bill from last session was vetoed by the governor and that this revised version is voluntary and approved by the governor's office: "So this is entirely optional...Anybody who is currently practicing behavior analysis, and this is important, can continue to practice. They don't have to get on this registry, but they can choose to."

Clowney said the registry would allow parents to know on the front end whether a provider is subject to Arkansas-based oversight; those on the registry could be held to the psychology board's complaints and discipline process. She noted the only available complaint outlet today is a national board "which is based in Denver, Colorado." Clowney described the bill as a "free market solution" that could give business incentive to register by signaling oversight to prospective clients.

A parent who identified himself as Dave Obrev testified in support, describing difficulty finding reputable therapists and long wait lists. "How you find the folks. Right? Like we're looking on Facebook. And it's like, are these reputable people? Anybody can kind of do the bare minimum," Obrev said, describing months-long wait lists for well-known therapy providers.

Committee members debated whether registration alone would guarantee provider quality. Representative Long observed that registration does not by itself prove competence: "just because you're registered, at this point doesn't mean that you're, really any good at your job." After no signed opposition and brief committee discussion, Representative Innott moved that the bill do pass; the chair announced the motion carried and the bill passed.