State Legislation
With the blessings of FMHCA's Board of Directors, FMHCA’s Government Relations Committee (GRC) worked with its lobbyist, Corinne Mixon of Rutledge & Ecenia, to draft a COVID-19 mental health bill that would:
- Remove the requirement that registered interns working in private practice settings have a licensed mental health professional on the premises when providing clinical services (yet still require them to have an "accessible" licensed mental health professional, thus adjusting to a telehealth environment), and
- Clarify that LMHCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs can be appointed by courts to conduct evaluations for the courts.
Click here for a more in-depth summary of the legislation and its intent.
Both the House (HB 941) and Senate (SB 818) versions of the bill have been filed.
FMHCA is assembling a delegation of members who will participate in a virtual Legislative Days event in which members will attend brief, scheduled meetings with legislators online to promote the bill. This is your chance to be part of the solution, and we need you! Please click here to join the delegation.
Federal Legislation
The House version of the the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (HR 432), a bill that would enable LMHCs and LMFTs to bill Medicare, has been filed. Once the Senate Bill has been filed, AMHCA and FMHCA will put out a call to action to its members on how to promote it. In the meantime, click here to read the House Bill.