1998 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1537 – Pastoral counselors, license reqmt

SENATE BILL NO. 1537

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1537aaH.............................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
PASTORAL COUNSELORS - Amends existing law to revise the licensure
requirements for licensed pastoral counselors.

03/05    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/06    Rpt prt - to Health/Wel
03/11    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/12    Rls susp - PASSED - 30-4-1
      AYES--Andreason, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Danielson,
      Darrington, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes, Hansen, Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen,
      Keough, King, Lee, McLaughlin, Parry, Richardson, Riggs, Risch,
      Sandy, Sorensen, Stennett, Sweeney, Thorne, Twiggs, Wheeler,
      Whitworth
      NAYS--Boatright, Deide, Noh, Schroeder
      Absent and excused--Crow
    Floor Sponsor - Sweeney
    Title apvd - to House
03/13    House intro - 1st rdg - to Health/Wel
03/17    Rpt out - to Gen Ord
03/18    Rpt out amen - to 1st rdg as amen
03/19    1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/20    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/20    Rls susp - PASSED - 61-5-4
      AYES -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Bivens,
      Black(23), Boe, Bruneel, Callister, Chase, Clark, Crane, Crow, Cuddy,
      Deal, Denney, Ellsworth, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Geddes, Gould,
      Henbest, Jaquet, Jones(9), Jones(20), Judd, Kellogg, Kempton,
      Kjellander, Kunz, Lake, Linford, Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague,
      Meyer, Mortensen, Newcomb, Pischner, Pomeroy, Reynolds, Richman,
      Ridinger, Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Stevenson, Stoicheff, Stone,
      Stubbs, Tilman, Tippets, Trail, Watson, Wheeler, Wood, Zimmermann,
      Mr Speaker
      NAYS -- Campbell, Hadley, Hansen, Hornbeck, Kendell
      Absent and excused -- Black(15), Jones(22), Miller, Taylor
    Floor Sponsors - Sali, Black(23)
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/20    Senate NOT concur in House amens
    Returned to Health/Wel

Bill Text


S1537


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1537

                             BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS OF  LICENSURE  FOR  LICENSED  PASTORAL  COUNSELORS;
 3        AMENDING SECTION 54-3405A, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICEN-
 4        SURE AS A LICENSED PASTORAL COUNSELOR; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

 5    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 6        SECTION  1.  That Section 54-3405A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 7    amended to read as follows:

 8        54-3405A.  QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICENSURE FOR LICENSED PASTORAL  COUNSELORS.
 9    Licensure  as a "licensed pastoral counselor"  (L.Pas.C.)  shall be
10    restricted  to  persons  who  have  successfully   completed   the   following
11    requirements  :   who have applied for licensed pastoral coun-
12    selors (L.Pas.C.) and: 
13        (1)   Holds a master of divinity (M.Div.) degree or  doctoral  degree
14    with a major in pastoral counseling from an accredited university or religious
15    institution with a requirement of sixty (60) semester credit hours of counsel-
16    ing  related  courses  in  a minimum of eight (8) of the following eleven (11)
17    areas with the areas of study being specified by the American  association  of
18    pastoral counselors (AAPC):
19        (a)  Theories of personality and personality development;
20        (b)  Theories of counseling and psychotherapy;
21        (c)  Marriage and family dynamics and counseling;
22        (d)  Group dynamics and counseling;
23        (e)  Personality, culture and ethics;
24        (f)  Psychology of religious experience;
25        (g)  Pastoral assessment and treatment;
26        (h)  Psychopathology;
27        (i)  Theories of  pastoral care;
28        (j)  Research methods;
29        (k)  Orientation  to the helping professions   A planned gradu-
30    ate program with a major in pastoral counseling with a  requirement  of  sixty
31    (60)  semester  credit hours of counseling related courses including a minimum
32    of six (6) semester credit hours which are earned in a practicum of supervised
33    counseling experience and including a graduate degree from an accredited  uni-
34    versity,  college  or  religious  institution  offering  a graduate program in
35    pastoral counseling .
36        (2)  Completion of  a practicum of supervised  counseling  experience
37    of  four hundred (400) contact hours, supervised at a ratio of one (1) hour of
38    supervision for each ten (10) contact hours   two thousand  (2,000)
39    contact  hours  of postgraduate supervised counseling experience acceptable to
40    the board .
41        (3)   Successful completion of the national counselor examination  if
42    required by the board.   Graduate studies shall have been at a uni-
43    versity  or institution which has been accredited by one (1) of the following:


                                         2

 1    The middle states association of  colleges  and  secondary  schools,  the  New
 2    England state association of colleges and secondary schools, the north central
 3    association  of  colleges  and secondary schools, the northwest association of
 4    colleges and secondary schools, the southern association of colleges and  sec-
 5    ondary  schools  or  the  western colleges association. The pastoral counselor
 6    program may also be accredited  by  the  association  of  theological  schools
 7    (ATS).
 8        (4)  Completion  of  two  thousand  (2,000)  contact hours of postgraduate
 9    supervised counseling experience, with an approved supervisor. Approved super-
10    visors include an American association of pastoral counselors approved  super-
11    visor, a licensed pastoral counselor, a licensed psychiatrist, a licensed psy-
12    chologist,  or  a licensed professional counselor. The ratio of supervision to
13    contact hours shall be one (1) to twenty (20).
14        (5)  Successful  completion  of  the  national  counselor  examination  as
15    required by the board.
16        (6)  Each licensed pastoral counselor  must  obtain  twenty  (20)  contact
17    hours  of  continuing  education  in an area that is approved by the board per
18    year.
19        (7)  Each licensed pastoral counselor shall adhere to the code  of  ethics
20    of the American counseling association.
21        (8)  The  board  shall have the option of employing a consultant to assist
22    in the review of applications and in disciplinary actions.  The  cost  of  the
23    consultation shall be included in the fee for the pastoral counselor license.
24        (9)  The  board may issue licenses to those persons meeting the qualifica-
25    tions for licensure  as  a  licensed  pastoral  counselor  (L.Pas.C)  and  the
26    licensed  pastoral  counselor license shall be a separate and distinct license
27    from the licensed professional counselor license.
28        (10) For the purposes of this chapter, fees and disciplinary actions,  the
29    terms  "licensed  pastoral  counselor"  and  "licensed professional counselor"
30    shall have the same meaning. The board may promulgate rules to  implement  the
31    provisions  of  this  section  in  compliance with chapter 52, title 67, Idaho
32    Code. 

33        SECTION 2.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
34    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
35    passage and approval.
                                       Moved by     Sali                 

                                       Seconded by  Black                


                             IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                            HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO S.B. NO. 1537

36                                AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL
37        On  page  1 of the printed bill, delete lines 6 through 43; and on page 2,
38    delete lines 1 through 32, and insert:
39        "SECTION 1.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is legislative intent that, in  imple-
40    menting the provisions of this act, the Idaho counselor licensing board recog-
41    nize all graduate programs granting M.Div. and higher degrees which, irrespec-
42    tive  of  religious doctrine and belief,  grant degrees based upon substantial
43    academic qualifications.

44        SECTION 2.  That Section 54-3405A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is  hereby
45    repealed.


                                         3

 1        SECTION  3.  That  Section 54-3405, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 2    amended to read as follows:

 3        54-3405.  QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICENSURE. Licensure as a  "licensed  profes-
 4    sional  counselor"  shall  be restricted to persons who have successfully com-
 5    pleted each of the following requirements:
 6        (1)   (a)   A planned graduate program of sixty  (60)  semester
 7        hours  which  is primarily counseling in nature, six (6) semester hours of
 8        which are earned in an advanced  counseling  practicum,  and  including  a
 9        graduate  degree  in  a  counseling field from an accredited university or
10        college offering a graduate program in counseling.
11        ( 2  b )  An examination if required by the  board's
12     regulations   rules .
13        (  3   c )  One thousand (1,000) hours of supervised
14        experience in counseling acceptable to the board .     or;
15        
16         Within the period from the effective date of this chapter until July
17    1, 1983, an applicant shall be exempt from the provisions of this section:
18        (1)  Who holds at least a master's degree in counseling or a related field
19    from an accredited college or university.
20        (2)  Who,  if  required  by the board, passes an examination in counseling
21    skills and/or knowledge.
22        (3)  Who has supervised counseling experience  acceptable  to  the  board.
23    
24         (2) From the effective date of this act  until July 1, 2000:
25        (a)  A planned graduate program with a major in counseling with a require-
26        ment  of  sixty  (60)  semester credit hours of counseling related courses
27        including a minimum of six (6) semester credit hours which are earned in a
28        practicum of supervised counseling experience  and  including  a  graduate
29        degree  from  an  accredited  university, college or religious institution
30        offering a graduate program in counseling.
31        (b)  Completion of two thousand  (2,000)  contact  hours  of  postgraduate
32        supervised counseling experience acceptable to the board.
33        (c)  Successful  completion  of  the  national  counselor  examination  if
34        required by the board. 

35        SECTION  4.  An  emergency  existing  therefor,  which emergency is hereby
36    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
37    passage and approval.".

38                                 CORRECTION TO TITLE
39        On page 1, delete lines  3  and  4,  and  insert:  "PROVIDING  LEGISLATIVE
40    INTENT;  REPEALING  SECTION  54-3405A,  IDAHO  CODE; AMENDING SECTION 54-3405,
41    IDAHO CODE, TO DELETE OUTDATED LANGUAGE,  TO  PROVIDE  ADDITIONAL  CURRICULUM,
42    SUPERVISED  COUNSELING  EXPERIENCE,  AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE NATIONAL
43    COUNSELOR EXAMINATION, IF REQUIRED, THAT WOULD RESULT IN LICENSURE UNTIL  JULY
44    1, 2000 AND TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.".

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





                           STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
    
                                 RS08182
    
    The purpose of this bill is to change Idaho Code 54-3405A to answer 
    the objections of an Attorney General's Opinion questioning the 
    constitutionality of part of that Code section. This change removes 
    that objection and removes unnecessary language which should be in 
    the rules and regulations.
    
    FISCAL NOTE
    
    No Fiscal Impact.
    
                                        CONTACT: Sen. Bruce L. Sweeney    332-1351
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ FISCAL NOTE
    
    S 1537