The advisory committee received a summary of a national debate over the licensing examination for psychologists, in which the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) had considered requiring passage of a second test, EPPP Part 2, as a condition of licensure.

David Fye recounted the association’s earlier decision and subsequent ‘‘pause’’ that followed intense discussion. He said Kansas delegates supported a bylaw amendment proposed by Texas to prevent ASPPB from unilaterally making Part 2 a mandatory requirement for all jurisdictions. "There was a lot of difficult conversation about that test...some states expressed concern about the cost because the EPPP is $600, Part 2 is $450," Fye said, describing both cost and access concerns.

Fye told the committee that advisory committees representing licensed psychologists had recommended the board pursue the bylaw amendment; the amendment did not pass, but ASPPB’s later decision to pause its plan led the association to create a task force to seek a longer‑term solution.

Chair Linda Heitzman Powell highlighted the importance of regulatory safeguards and warned against broad deregulation trends that could remove consumer protections. She described a recent example in Canada — a fee‑funded licensing body that faced litigation after taking action against an individual presenting as a psychologist — to illustrate potential risks to licensing agencies.

Committee members said they were glad the issue is receiving national attention and welcomed the ASPPB task force’s work; no local regulatory changes were proposed at the Kansas advisory meeting.

The committee also agreed that national developments merit monitoring because changes to examination requirements could affect state licensure practices and candidate costs. Staff said they would keep advisory committees updated on ASPPB work.