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Kansas BSRB discusses background-check requirement to align with counseling compact
Summary
At its Aug. 4 advisory committee meeting, BSRB staff described board support for requiring criminal background checks for new counselor licensure and for reinstatements to meet multistate compact rules; officials said the fee would be collected by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and estimated at about $57.
The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board——Professional Counselor Advisory Committee heard updates Aug. 4 on multistate compact preparations and a board-supported plan to require criminal background checks for certain licensure actions so Kansas licensees can participate in the professional counseling compact.
The compact and background-check discussion focused on steps needed for Kansas to be eligible when the professional counseling compact launches. Executive Director David Fye told the committee the board "was supportive of making that requirement for licensure" and that a Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) fingerprint-based background check would cost "about $57," with the fee paid directly to the KBI.
Why it matters: participation in the compact would allow qualified counselors licensed in Kansas to obtain a privilege to practice in other compact states without a separate full license. Several compact rules require a criminal-history check; advisory committee members heard that the background-check requirement is the primary remaining barrier to being ready when the compact commission goes live.
What was said: Fye summarized the board——s discussion that the likely initial scope of any new background-check rule would apply to original licensure, reinstatement after expiration or discipline, and a smaller group of temporary student-pathway applicants. He said the board intends to provide an opt-in pathway for currently licensed practitioners so they could become eligible for the compact if they choose to obtain a background check.
Fees and timing: Committee members discussed compact fees and administrative costs. Committee chair Laura Shaughnessy and Fye clarified the fee structure discussed with the compact commission: "the fee the compact commission will be charging as their administrative fee will be $30. The Kansas fee will be $25," Fye said. The advisory committee was told the compact commission is testing its data system and aimed to go live later this fall but that timelines depend on participating states meeting compact requirements.
Operational impacts and next steps: Fye said implementing background checks would require changes in BSRB licensing workflows, training for licensing staff, and confidentiality procedures to handle criminal-history information. He said he was working with the KBI on logistics and that the board would provide further guidance and FAQs for licensees once a process is settled.
The advisory committee did not vote on rulemaking at the Aug. 4 meeting; members were briefed and asked to expect further outreach when the board completes a recommended implementation plan.
