HB 1228 — Marriage & Family Therapy Clinical Requirements

SecondNOTE: Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REREVISED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the Second House LLS NO.

26-0110.01This Britabill Darlinghas x2241been HOUSEprepared BILLfor 26-1228the HOUSEsignatures SPONSORSHIPof StewartR.andthe Feret,appropriate Bacon,Brown,Camacho,Carter,Clifford,Duran,Garcia,Jackson,legislative Lieder,officers Lindsay,and Marshall,the Nguyen,Governor. Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Story SENATE SPONSORSHIP Danielson, Carson, Coleman, Cutter, Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Marchman, Sullivan d d n m 2 E n 2 A U , N n 1 S d r House Committees Senate Committees e A Business Affairs & Labor Business, Labor, & Technology R r e A BILL FOR AN ACT n m 2 C ONCERNING MEASURES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO LICENSURE AS A T n 2 A U 3 MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST .

ETo idetermine iwhether Sthe aGovernor phas Rsigned Athe dbill Billor Summarytaken 2other (Note:action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

ThisHOUSE summaryBILL applies26-1228 toBY thisREPRESENTATIVE(S) billStewart asR. introduced and does notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill d d passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that e 6 E a 0 applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at S U , http://leg.colorado.gov.) U g h H d r e a Under current law, an individual who has completed a master's or R M doctoral degree in marriage and familytherapy, or its equivalent, from a degreeprogramthatincludedaninternshiporpracticumintheprinciples and practice of marriage and family therapy may be registered as a candidate for licensure and must complete at least 1,500 supervised e n clinical hours to be licensed as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT).

eand 2Feret, EBacon, nBrown, 2Camacho, UCarter, UClifford, 5Duran, OGarcia, iJackson, cLieder, ShadingLindsay, denotesMarshall, HOUSENguyen, amendment.Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Story;

Doublealso underliningSENATOR(S) denotesDanielson, SENATECarson, amendment.Cutter, Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Marchman, Sullivan, Coleman.

HCONCERNING aMEASURES aTO CapitalINCREASE lettersACCESS orTO boldLICENSURE &AS italicA numbersMARRIAGE indicateAND newFAMILY materialTHERAPIST to. be added to existing law.e M Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

d The bill allows an applicant whose master's or doctoral degree program did not include an internship or practicum to also be registered as an LMFT candidate, but requires these candidates to complete an additional 700 supervised clinical hours to become an LMFT.

SECTION1.SECTION 1.

In Colorado RevisedStatutes,12-245-504,amendRevised Statutes, 12-245-504, amend (1)(c) and (1)(d) as follows:

(1) TheTheboardshallissuealicenseasamarriageandfamilytherapist boardtoeachapplicantwhofilesanapplicationinaformandmannerrequiredby shall issue a license as a marriage and family therapist to each applicant who files an application in a formand manner required by the board, submits the fee required by the board pursuant to section 12-245-205, and furnishesevidencesatisfactorytofurnishes evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant:

Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law;

dashes through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of the act.

(I) Includes a practicum or internship in the principles and practice of marriage and family therapy;therapy;OR (II) FOR AN APPLICANT APPLYING ON OR AFTER M ARCH 1, 2027, DOES NOT INCLUDE A PRACTICUM OR INTERNSHIP IN THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICEOFMARRIAGEANDFAMILYTHERAPY ,ANDTHEREQUIREMENTSOF SUBSECTION (1)(d)OF THIS SECTION ARE MET PRIOR TO LICENSURE AS A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST ;

(II)(d) FRSubsequent ANto APPLICANTcompleting APPLYINGthe ONapplicant's ORmaster's AFTERor Mdoctoral ARCHdegree, 1,has 2027,had DOESat NOTleast INCLUDEtwo Ayears PRACTICUMof ORpost-master's INTERNSHIPor INone THEyear PRINCIPLESof ANDpostdoctoral PRACTICEpractice OFin MARRIAGEindividual ANDand FAMILYmarriage THERAPYand ,ANDfamily THEtherapy, REQUIREMENTSincluding OFat least one thousand five hundred hours, ,FOR AN APPLICANT DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(dOF(1)(c)(II)OF THIS SECTION ARE, METSEVEN PRIORHUNDRED TOHOURSINADDITIONTOTHEHOURSREQUIREDFORANAPPLICANTDESCRIBED LICENSUREIN ASSUBSECTION A(1)(c)(I)OF MARRIAGETHIS ANDSECTION FAMILY, THERAPISTof ;face-to-face direct client contact as determined by the board for the purpose of assessment and intervention under clinical supervision that may be in person orROUGH telesupervision;

(d) Subsequent to completing the applicant's master's or doctoral degree, has had at least two years of post-master's or one year of postdoctoral practice in individual and marriage and family therapy, -2- 1228 includingatleastonethousandfivehundredhours,OR ,FORANAPPLICANT DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(c)(IIOF THIS SECTION,SEVEN HUNDRED HOURS IN ADDITION TO THE HOURS REQUIRED FOR AN APPLICANT DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(c)(I)OF THIS SECTION, of face-to-face direct client contact as determined by the board for the purpose of assessment and intervention under clinical supervision that may be in person orTHROUGH telesupervision;

on the day following the expiration of the ninety-dayperiodafterfinaladjournmentofthegeneralassembly(Augustninety-dayperiod after final adjournment of the general assembly(August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026);

except that, if a referendumreferendumpetitionisfiledpursuanttosection1(3)ofarticleVofthestate petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approvedPAGE by2-HOUSE theBILL people26-1228 atapprovedbythepeopleatthegeneralelectiontobeheldinNovember2026 the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

-3-____________________________ 1228____________________________ Julie McCluskie James Rashad Coleman, Sr.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE ____________________________ ____________________________ Vanessa Reilly Esther van Mourik CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE APPROVED________________________________________ (Date and Time) _________________________________________ Jared S.

Polis GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1228