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Kansas BSRB advisory committee reviews licensing survey, budget outlook and telepsychology compact as SB63 takes effect
Summary
The Life and Psychology Advisory Committee received an executive director's report on a recent licensee survey and the agency's budget status, an update on the telepsychology compact (SIPAC), and an overview of Senate Bill 63's passage and immediate effect; staff said the board is reviewing the law but cannot provide legal advice to licensees.
The Life and Psychology Advisory Committee of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board heard an executive director's update on licensing surveys, the agency budget and telepsychology compacts, and was told that Senate Bill 63 has taken effect after publication in the Kansas Register.
The advisory committee met remotely and received a report from David Fye, the board's executive director, who said the BSRB closed a licensee survey covering six of the board's seven professions and plans to prepare separate profession-level reports and a cross-profession summary for committee review. "We did strive for some uniformity...we also tried to limit the surveys to between 15 and 20 questions to avoid things like survey fatigue," Fye said.
Fye told the committee the BSRB submitted its annual budget request in September and that the House Higher Education Budget Committee recommended the amounts the agency requested for fiscal years 2025'27. He said the agency does not request funds from the state general fund and that the Senate's ways and means committee may not hold a separate hearing because the agency is small budgetarily.
The committee also received an update on SIPAC (the psychology interstate telepractice compact). A staff report included counts from the SIPAC newsletter: approximately 40 member states are listed, about 12,622 active telepsychology authorizations under SIPAC, 768 temporary authorizations to practice (TAP), and 111 individuals providing teletherapy under SIPAC jurisdiction.
The meeting turned to recent state legislation. Fye summarized the legislative history of Senate Bill 63, which restricts certain care and funding related to transgender health services for minors. He said the bill included language making it effective upon publication in the Kansas Register and that the secretary of state's office published the bill in the Register the previous Thursday. "That bill is now effective," Fye said. He added that the BSRB had received inquiries about the law and that the agency and board are reviewing it; "we cannot provide legal advice to our licensees as far as interpreting statutes or how the bill is affected," he said.
Why it matters: Survey results will inform future recommendations on licensing and regulation; the budget outlook affects the agency's resources; and the new law may have implications for licensees seeking guidance about the provision of care. Committee members were told to consult the legislative text and legal counsel if they need legal interpretation.
The board staff said written survey results will be cleaned and summarized for the advisory committee to review at the next meeting in April. Fye and staff plan to post materials on the BSRB website and provide copies on request.
Votes at the meeting included approval of the agenda and approval of the previous meeting's minutes by voice vote. The motions were carried by voice vote; the meeting adjourned at the scheduled time. The committee's next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday in April 2025 at 6 p.m.
Provenance: Executive director survey and operations report; budget and legislative overview; SIPAC update; SB63 discussion.
