Hello, everyone!  Here are some important legislative updates on a national and state level:

National Legislation

The Bipartisan Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 286) has been reintroduced in Congress.  Among other things, this act would extend Medicare billing rights to LMHCs.  Read more at AMHCA's website by clicking here, and make sure you contact your congressional leaders to express your support for the bill!  Click here to contact your senators, and click here to contact your representatives. 

State Legislation

On 3/27, FMHCA will be sending members to Tallahassee for our 2018 "Legislative Days" campaign to meet with legislators.  What will be promoting?  First, we are calling on legislators to support SB 188 and HB 7031, which would improve the licensure portability process in Florida among other measures, such as:

• Require new LMHC applicants who do not have a CACREP-accredited degree to have a 3-hour graduate course "addressing diagnostic processes, including differential diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition" of the DSM but drops counseling in community settings cause requirement
• Requires new LMHC applicants to have a CACREP-accredited clinical mental health counseling master's degree effective 7/1/25
• Allows a licensed counselor from another state to be licensed in Florida if the following conditions are met: (1) Holds an active license in another state for at least 3 of the last 5 years; (2) has passed an NBCC exam (NCE or NCMHCE); (3) Licensure status in other state is "in good standing" (i.e., not under investigation or discipline)

plan co-authored by AMHCA, NBCC, ACES, and AASCB.

Second, FMHCA and its lobbying firm is collaborating with Representative Tommy Gregory and Senator Gregory Baxley to draft a bill that would include the language in the above house and senate bills but add provisions to clarify that:

1. LMHCs can use the term "psychological" to describe their work (currently F.S. 491.003(9), which governs LMHCs, describes the practice of mental health counseling as including "methods of a psychological nature" to diagnose and treat mental disorders, whereas F.S. 490.12(c), which governs psychologists, indicates that "no person shall hold herself or himself out by any title or description incorporating the words, or permutations of them, 'psychology,' 'psychological,' or 'psychodiagnostic,' or describe any test or report as psychological, unless such person holds a valid, active license under this chapter or is exempt from the provisions of this chapter."   
   
2. F.S. 960.115(1)(a), which currently indicates that "to the extent possible" courts shall appoint psychologists, psychiatrists, and physicians to conduct court-ordered forensic mental health evaluations, would be amended to include LMHCs.

Please donate to help fund this event, even if its just $5.  Every penny helps!  Click here to donate.

491 Board Vacancy for LMHC

The 491 Board is looking for someone to fill one of the two LMHC board position vacancies.  Those interested in pursuing this vacancy can visit the 491 Board website to learn more.

Check out FMHCA's Legislative Update Page

If you are a FMHCA member, login at FMHCA.org, then hover your mouse over "News and Publications" on the menu bar, then click "Legislative News."