in-20260114-IR-839250820ARA: On behalf of the Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (board), I am submitting this notice in compliance with IC 4-22-2-19, which requires an agency to begin the rulemaking process not later than 60 days after the effective date of the statute that authorizes the rule.

TITLE 839 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES LICENSING BOARD 60 Day Requirement (IC 4-22-2-19) LSA Document #25-820 On behalf of the Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (board), I am submitting this notice in compliance with IC 4-22-2-19, which requires an agency to begin the rulemaking process not later than 60 days after the effective date of the statute that authorizes the rule. In 2023, Senate Bill 160 was passed, effective July 1, 2023, requiring the board to administer the professional counselors licensure compact (counseling compact) under IC 25-42.5, including adopting any rules necessary to administer the compact. The counseling compact is an interstate compact that allows professional counselors licensed and residing in a compact member state to practice in other compact member states without the need for multiple licenses. On August 25, 2025, the board determined that an application fee was going to be necessary to implement and administer the counseling compact. A motion was made and seconded that the $50 application fee will be required for qualified practitioners who are members of the counseling compact to have compact privileges in the state of Indiana. At the time, there were no member states who had implemented the compact, and the compact had not yet been issuing privileges. September 30, 2025, the counseling compact began issuing privileges for two states. The Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) drafted and submitted a proposed rule and Regulatory Analysis to OMB and SBA and requested in October 2025, and also submitted a Budget Committee Submission Form to SBA in October 2025. PLA presented this proposed rule to the Budget Committee at the Budget Committee meeting on December 18, 2025. On December 23, 2025, PLA received an approval letter authorizing the board to commence the public comment period. The same day, the Notice of First Public Comment Period was submitted to the Indiana Register for publication. The board has initiated the rulemaking process by publishing its Notice of First Public Comment Period in the Indiana Register on January 14, 2026 (DIN: 20260114-IR-839250820FNA). Elizabeth Walker, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Operations Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board Indiana Professional Licensing Agency