Kansas BSRB reports website, CE tool launches, budget data and exam rulework

David Fye, executive director for the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, briefed the Professional Counselors Advisory Committee on operations, the agency budget and several national‑level examination and regulatory issues.

The BSRB has launched a new website and integrated CE Broker for continuing education tracking across the board’s seven professions, Fye said. “If you have not renewed your license recently but you are interested in using those services to go ahead and upload documentation of your continuing education hours … that is now set up for all seven professions,” he told the committee.

Fye also described an ongoing licensee survey launched through SurveyMonkey; the survey remained open for an extra two weeks at licensees’ request and was scheduled to close on the Friday following the meeting. He reported a roughly 23 percent response rate at the time of the meeting and said staff hope to approach a 30 percent response rate with the extended window. The BSRB plans to compile results and present committee‑level reports at the next advisory meeting in April.

On finance, Fye told the committee the agency operates on a fee fund with an annual operating limit set by the legislature. He said the BSRB’s annual budget is about $1,200,000 and the fund balance has been roughly $1,800,000, down from higher levels after prior fee reductions; the board has approved targeted fee increases expected to be implemented by the summer. Fye added the BSRB is fee‑funded and does not receive state general fund appropriations; by statute the agency contributes up to $100,000 each year back to the state general fund.

Legislative timing was a topic of discussion. Fye said the legislature’s budget process changed: the legislature is starting agency budget reviews earlier and the house passed its appropriations bill (House Bill 2007) that now moves to the Senate. He said the board’s own board‑requested statutory changes were drafted but had not yet received an official bill introduction because of reviser office timing and legislative deadlines; staff are pursuing introduction on the Senate side and will return with updates.

The committee also received national exam and association updates. Fye summarized recent activity in the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) debate over the EPPP‑2 skills exam: ASPPB had proposed requiring a second skills test but reversed that decision shortly before its annual meeting. The BSRB is participating in a bylaw‑revision committee at the national association level to improve future decision processes; Fye said he will volunteer on that committee.

Fye told the committee the board is near finalizing changes to its unprofessional conduct regulations and is drafting language for an expedited application review process directed by the legislature. He said staff found no clear model in other states for accelerated reviews, so the BSRB is drafting an approach for regulatory consideration in March.

The nut graf: the meeting combined operational improvements that directly affect licensees (website, CE tracking and survey) with higher‑level budget and national professional‑examination developments that could change licensure and supervision requirements.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about supervision standards, interstate program‑qualification research referenced at the national American Association of State Counseling Boards meeting, and whether program‑to‑state mappings will be maintained; Fye said the national researcher plans a tool with disclaimers and an update process. The committee closed with scheduling: members agreed on Tuesday, April 1 at 10 a.m. for the next meeting.

Ending: Staff will provide survey results and proposed regulatory language about expedited reviews and unprofessional conduct for the committee to review at the April meeting.