HB 1724 — Increasing the trained behavioral health workforce.

H-1294.1H-0958.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1724 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session By House Postsecondary Education & Workforce (originally sponsored by Representatives Bateman, Macri, Taylor, Berry, Tharinger, Slatter, Callan, Leavitt, Reed, and Shavers)Shavers READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/17/23.02/02/23.

Referred to Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce.

1 SHBHB 1724 regulations of the board.

2 SHBHB 1724 with a scope of practice that is substantially equivalent to or greater than the scope of practice for licensed psychologists as established under this chapter.

3 SHBHB 1724 determined to have a scope of practice that is substantially equivalent to or greater than the scope of practice for certified ((chemical dependency)) substance use disorder professionals as established under this chapter.

4 SHBHB 1724 (2) At)) at least ((forty)) 40 hours must be in one-to-one supervision and fifty hours may be in one-to-one supervision or group supervision;

5 SHBHB 1724 (i) Graduation from a master's or doctoral level educational program in mental health counseling or a related discipline from a college or university approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards;

6 SHBHB 1724 hundred)) 200 hours must be one-on-one supervision, and the remaining hours may be in one-on-one or group supervision.

(2) TheAn departmentapplicant shallmay establishuse byprior ruleprofessional whatexperience constitutesgained adequatebefore proofgraduation from a master's or doctoral level educational program to satisfy up to 50 percent of meetinga supervised experience requirement under this section if the criteria.professional experience was gained under the supervision of an approved supervisor for the applicant's practice area.

(3) The department shall establish by rule what constitutes adequate proof of meeting the criteria.

(3)(((3))) (4) In addition, applicants shall be subject to the grounds for denial of a license or issuance of a conditional license under chapter 18.130 RCW.

(A)p. Hold or have held within the past ((twelve)) 12 months a credential in good standing from another state or territory of the United States which has a scope of practice that is substantially equivalent to or greater than the scope of practice for the corresponding license as established under this chapter;

and7 p.HB 1724 (A) Hold or have held within the past ((twelve)) 12 months a credential in good standing from another state or territory of the United States which has a scope of practice that is substantially equivalent to or greater than the scope of practice for the corresponding license as established under this chapter;

7and SHB 1724 (B) Have no disciplinary record or disqualifying criminal history.

(1) By December 1, 2023, the board shall examine licensure requirements for the following professions and make recommendations top. the legislature and relevant agencies, boards, and commissions for changes to statutes and rules that would remove barriers to entering and remaining in the health care workforce:

8 HB 1724 to the legislature and relevant agencies, boards, and commissions for changes to statutes and rules that would remove barriers to entering and remaining in the health care workforce:

p.(b) Marriage and family therapists licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW;

8 SHB 1724 (b) Marriage and family therapists licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW;

(c) Changes that would promote greater consistency across licensure requirements for professions licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW and allow for applicants' prior professional experience within relevant fields to be counted towards supervised experience requirements established under chapter 18.225 RCW,RCW; including the extent to which an applicant may use prior professional experience gained before graduation from a master's or doctoral level educational program to satisfy the applicant's supervised experience requirement;

and (d) TechnicalAny assistancerules programs,that suchpose asexcessive navigatorsadministrative requirements for application or dedicatedrenewal customeror servicethat lines,place toa facilitatedisproportionate theburden completionon ofapplicants licensingfrom applications;disadvantaged communities.

9 SHBHB 1724 (e)NEW InSECTION. consultation with the examining board of psychology and a statewide organization representing licensed psychologists, the creation of an associate-level license for psychologists;

(f) Whether agency affiliated counselors should be allowed to practice in federally qualified health centers;

and (g) Any rules that pose excessive administrative requirements for application or renewal or that place a disproportionate burden on applicants from disadvantaged communities.

NEW SECTION.

(1) By July 1, 2024, all disciplining authorities that receive recommendations from the workforce training and education coordinating board pursuant to section 5 of this act must adopt rules to implement the recommendations.

(2) Pursuant to RCW 34.05.350, the legislature finds that the rules adopted under this section are necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare and observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

The disciplining authorities shall, therefore, adopt the rules required under this section as emergency rules.

(1)(a)(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, by October 1, 2023, the department shall develop a program to facilitate placement of associates with clinical supervision services.

(b) The department shall adopt, by rule, minimum qualifications for supervisors or facilities to be included in the database and minimum standards for adequate supervision of associates.

The department may not include in the database any person who, or facility that, does not meet the minimum qualifications.

The department shall periodically audit the list to remove persons who, p.

10 SHB 1724 or facilities that, no longer meet the minimum qualifications or fail to meet the minimum standards.

(c) WhenThe adopting the stipend program, the department shall considerestablish defrayingthe out-of-pocketstipend expensesprogram associatedno withlater unpaidthan internshipsJuly that1, are2024. part of an applicant's educational program.

(d) The department shallmay establishadopt theany stipendrules programnecessary noto laterimplement thanthis Julysection. 1, 2024.

(e) The department may adopt any rules necessary to implement this section.

1110 SHBHB 1724