House File 107 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 107 BY FRY A BILL FOR An Act relating to supervision requirements for licensed 1 marital and family therapists, mental health counselors, and 2 social workers, and including effective date provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1404YH (5) 89 dg/rh

H.F. 107 Section 1. Section 154C.3, Code 2021, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. Supervision. The board shall not, by 3 rule or other means, require that supervision be completed 4 in-person as a condition for an applicant to receive a license, 5 a reciprocal license, or a renewed license under this chapter. 6 Sec. 2. Section 154D.2, Code 2021, is amended to read as 7 follows: 8 154D.2 Licensure —— marital and family therapy —— mental 9 health counseling. 10 1. An applicant for a license to practice marital and family 11 therapy or mental health counseling shall be granted a license 12 by the board when the applicant satisfies all of the following 13 requirements: 14 1. a. Possesses a master’s degree in marital and family 15 therapy or mental health counseling, as applicable, consisting 16 of at least sixty semester hours, or its equivalent, from a 17 nationally accredited institution or from a program approved 18 by the board. 19 2. b. Has at least two years of supervised clinical 20 experience or its equivalent as approved by the board. 21 Standards for supervision, including the required 22 qualifications for supervisors, shall be determined pursuant to 23 the requirements in subsection 2 and by the board by rule. 24 3. c. Passes an examination approved by the board. 25 2. The board shall not, by rule or other means, require any 26 of the following for the licensure or renewal of a license to 27 practice marital or family therapy or mental health counseling: 28 a. In-person supervision. 29 b. Supervised clinical experience hours in excess of the 30 hours required by the board of social work for the licensure 31 of any class of social worker. 32 Sec. 3. Section 154D.4, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 33 2021, is amended to read as follows: 34 b. A person who practices marital and family therapy or 35 -1- LSB 1404YH (5) 89 dg/rh 1/ 3

H.F. 107 mental health counseling under the supervision of a person 1 licensed under this chapter as part of a clinical experience as 2 described in section 154D.2, subsection 2 1, paragraph “b” . 3 Sec. 4. BOARD OF SOCIAL WORK AND BOARD OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 4 —— RULES. The board of social work and the board of behavioral 5 science shall amend their administrative rules pursuant to 6 chapter 17A to remove any requirement for supervised clinical 7 experience and supervised professional practice to be completed 8 in-person as a condition for the licensure of marital and 9 family therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers 10 pursuant to chapters 154C and 154D. The board of social work 11 and the board of behavioral science shall replace all licensing 12 requirements for in-person supervision with the ability to have 13 supervision requirements completed electronically. 14 Sec. 5. EMERGENCY RULES. The board of social work and board 15 of behavioral science may adopt emergency rules under section 16 17A.4, subsection 3, and section 17A.5, subsection 2, paragraph 17 “b”, to implement the provisions of this Act and the rules 18 shall be effective immediately upon filing unless a later date 19 is specified in the rules. Any rules adopted in accordance 20 with this section shall also be published as a notice of 21 intended action as provided in section 17A.4. 22 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 23 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 24 EXPLANATION 25 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 26 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 27 This bill relates to supervision requirements for certain 28 licensed individuals and provides an effective date. 29 The bill provides that the board of social work and the board 30 of behavioral science shall not require that supervision of an 31 applicant for a license as a social worker, marital or family 32 therapist, or mental health counselor be completed in-person. 33 The bill provides that the board of behavioral science shall 34 not require supervised clinical experience hours for marital or 35 -2- LSB 1404YH (5) 89 dg/rh 2/ 3

H.F. 107 family therapists or mental health counselors in excess of the 1 hours required for social workers. The bill makes a conforming 2 change to Code section 154D.4(2)(b). 3 The bill directs the board of social work and the board 4 of behavioral science to amend their administrative rules to 5 remove any requirement for supervised clinical experience and 6 supervised professional practice to be completed in-person as a 7 condition for the licensure of marital and family therapists, 8 mental health counselors, and social workers. 9 The bill provides that the board of social work and the board 10 of behavioral science may adopt emergency rules and creates an 11 immediate effective date upon enactment. 12 -3- LSB 1404YH (5) 89 dg/rh 3/ 3