House Behavioral Health committee advances bill to create bachelor's-level behavioral health license

The House Committee on Behavioral Health advanced SB 1547A on Feb. 19, 2026, voting unanimously to send the bill to the House floor with a do-pass recommendation. Proponents told the committee the measure would create a licensed "behavioral health and wellness practitioner" to expand access to early identification and prevention services, especially for children, while maintaining limits on scope and requiring supervision.

Dr. Katie McLaughlin, executive director of the Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the University of Oregon, told the committee Oregon is "in the midst of a youth mental health crisis" and said the bill responds to shortages in the workforce. McLaughlin cited what she described as high need — including nearly "1 in 4 kids" struggling with severe depression and about "1 in 10" with a recent substance use disorder — and said more than half of families report meaningful difficulty finding a provider.

The bill would establish a state-issued license for a bachelor's-level behavioral health and wellness practitioner who completes a structured educational pathway that includes 700 hours of supervised applied practice. McLaughlin said the licensed practitioners would not diagnose mental disorders, provide psychotherapy, manage medications, or practice independently; instead, they would work under ongoing supervision by a master's- or doctoral-level licensed provider. She said the Oregon Board of Psychology and the Mental Health Regulatory Agency have agreed to oversee the credential and that fiscal analysts found the costs absorbable.

Other witnesses emphasized workforce and implementation details. Dr. Robin Henderson, a licensed psychologist who testified on behalf of Providence Oregon and the Oregon Psychological Association, said the proposal had been thoroughly vetted by the System of Care Advisory Council and by professional stakeholders and expressed confidence that the board would promulgate rules that keep the scope within the bill's limits. Jamie Vander Gone, CEO of Trillium Family Services, called the proposed credential a thoughtful bridge between existing QMHA and QMHP pathways that would yield better-prepared entry-level staff and improved retention for employers.

Family and community voices underscored demand for earlier supports in schools and community settings. Colleen Carey, an advocate with Disability Rights Oregon and a member of the Ballmer Institute community advisory board, recounted a personal experience in which her daughter was assaulted at school and staff provided little clinical response, and urged committee members to support SB 1547A so schools and community programs could access better-trained bachelor's-level staff. Anderson Du Bois, representing youth leadership organization REAP and the System of Care Advisory Council, said some districts lack even a school counselor and that the credential would make it easier for community-based staff to be licensed and work where youth already are.

In the work session, committee staff restated that SB 1547A, which crossed over from the Senate, authorizes the Oregon Board of Psychology to establish the new license; staff said there are no amendments and the fiscal impact is minimal with no revenue effect. Vice Chair Edwards moved the bill to the House floor with a do-pass recommendation. Representative Mark Maddox praised the bill’s design and noted operations could begin in January 2027 and that regulators will need to start drafting rules for implementation.

The committee conducted roll call and the members present voted to advance the measure. The chair designated Representative Isidore to carry the bill to the House floor. The committee did not adopt any amendments during the work session.

What the bill does and next steps: SB 1547A would create a new licensed practitioner category aimed at expanding access to early identification and prevention services by establishing training, scope limits, and supervision requirements; the committee's do-pass recommendation sends the bill to the full House, where it will be scheduled for further consideration.