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Senate committee approves licensure changes to cut red tape for counselors
Summary
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee approved SB164 to ease licensure timelines and allow endorsement of out‑of‑state supervision for counseling licensees, shorten exam retake wait times and add probation as a disciplinary option; rules will set implementation details.
Little Rock — The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on an aye voice vote passed SB164, a bill the sponsor said is intended to reduce regulatory barriers for licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists.
Sponsor Senator Cooper said the measure grew from a state red‑tape reduction task force and reflects voluntary simplifications proposed by the licensing board. “This bill is a, is an outgrowth of the task force effort in, the red tape reduction committee,” Cooper said.
John Carmack, who identified himself as “the executive director of the board counseling board,” told the committee the bill retains the 3,000‑hour client‑contact requirement but removes the statutory requirement that those…
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