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Rep. Thompson tells committee bill would standardize limited licenses for mental-health professionals
Summary
Vice Chair Thompson testified in support of House Bill 5074, which would establish a three-year limited license renewable once (six years total) across several mental-health professions, and would add hardship exemptions for limited licensed counselors and psychologists; she said the change would reduce confusion and help the workforce but did not provide a numeric estimate of affected professionals.
Vice Chair Representative Thompson told the House Health Policy Committee that House Bill 5074 would standardize limited licensure pathways across mental-health professions to reduce confusion and barriers for practitioners entering the workforce.
Thompson described the current system as "a little confusing," saying different professions have different limited-license durations and renewal rules. She summarized the bill: it would establish a three-year limited license renewable once for a total of six years for professionals such as marriage and family therapists, social workers, counselors and others; it also would codify hardship exemptions for limited licensed counselors and create a hardship exemption for psychologists who must travel to other states for required training.
Thompson said the bill would "reduce the costs, increase flexibility, help qualified professionals enter and remain in the workforce," and that she expected the number of affected professionals to be "quite large," though she did not provide an exact figure and said she had consulted with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Committee members asked how many professionals would be affected; Thompson acknowledged she did not have a precise number. There was no committee vote on HB 5074 recorded in the transcript.
