PRINTER'S NO. 2352
No. 1579 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, COSTA, KITCHEN, TARTAGLIONE, LEMMOND, EARLL,
CONTI, PUNT, DENT AND SCHWARTZ, NOVEMBER 8, 2002
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
NOVEMBER 8, 2002
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 9, 1987 (P.L.220, No.39), entitled "An
2 act licensing and regulating the practice of social work;
3 providing penalties; and making an appropriation," further
4 providing for exemption from licensure requirements.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 9(b) and (c) of the act of July 9, 1987
8 (P.L.220, No.39), known as the Social Workers, Marriage and
9 Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act, amended
10 February 13, 2002 (P.L.83, No.4), are amended to read:
11 Section 9. Exemption from licensure examination.
12 * * *
13 (b) Marriage and family therapists.--The requirements of
14 section 7(e)(4) shall not apply and a license shall be issued
15 without examination to an applicant who meets all of the
16 following requirements:
17 (1) Has submitted an application for a marriage and
18 family therapist license, accompanied by the required fee,
1 within four years after the effective date of this paragraph.
2 (2) Is a resident of this Commonwealth.
3 (3) Can demonstrate proof of practice of marriage and
4 family therapy for at least five of the seven years
5 immediately prior to the date of application for license.
6 (4) Has successfully met one of the following
7 educational requirements:
8 (i) Has a doctoral degree in marriage and family
9 therapy or in a field determined by the board by
10 regulation to be closely related to the practice of
11 marriage and family therapy from an accredited
12 educational institution with graduate level coursework in
13 marriage and family therapy acceptable to the board.
14 (ii) Has a master's degree of at least 48 semester
15 hours or 72 quarter hours in marriage and family therapy
16 or in a field determined by the board by regulation to be
17 closely related to the practice of marriage and family
18 therapy from an accredited educational institution with
19 graduate level coursework in marriage and family therapy
20 acceptable to the board.
21 (iii) Has a master's degree of less than 48 semester
22 hours or 72 quarter hours [but not less than 36 semester
23 hours or 54 quarter hours] in marriage and family therapy
24 or in a field determined by the board by regulation to be
25 closely related to the practice of marriage and family
26 therapy from an accredited educational institution with
27 graduate level coursework in marriage and family therapy
28 acceptable to the board and has within the past ten years
29 completed sufficient continuing education satisfactory to
30 the board to equal the number of hours needed to achieve
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1 a total of 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours at a
2 ratio of 15 continuing education hours equaling one
3 semester hour.
4 (5) Can demonstrate holding a current professional
5 certification in marriage and family therapy and having
6 passed an examination in marriage and family therapy approved
7 by the board.
8 (c) Professional counselors.--The requirements of section
9 7(f)(4) shall not apply and a license shall be issued without
10 examination to an applicant who meets all of the following
11 requirements:
12 (1) Has submitted an application for a professional
13 counselor license, accompanied by the required fee, within
14 four years after the effective date of this paragraph.
15 (2) Is a resident of this Commonwealth.
16 (3) Can demonstrate proof of practice of professional
17 counseling for at least five of the seven years immediately
18 prior to the date of application for license.
19 (4) Has successfully met one of the following
20 educational requirements:
21 (i) Has a doctoral degree in professional counseling
22 or a field determined by the board by regulation to be
23 closely related to the practice of professional
24 counseling from an accredited educational institution.
25 (ii) Has a master's degree of at least 48 semester
26 hours or 72 quarter hours in professional counseling or a
27 field determined by the board by regulation to be closely
28 related to the practice of professional counseling from
29 an accredited educational institution.
30 (iii) Has a master's degree of less than 48 semester
20020S1579B2352 - 3 -
1 hours or 72 quarter hours [but not less than 36 semester
2 hours or 54 quarter hours] in professional counseling or
3 a field determined by the board by regulation to be
4 closely related to the practice of professional
5 counseling and has within the past ten years completed
6 sufficient continuing education satisfactory to the board
7 to equal the number of hours needed to achieve a total of
8 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours at a ratio of 15
9 continuing education hours equaling one semester hour.
10 (5) Can demonstrate holding a current professional
11 certification in professional counseling and having passed a
12 national certification examination in professional counseling
13 administered by a nationally recognized credentialing agency
14 approved by the board.
15 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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