The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines moves toward reality as Governor Laura Kelly signed into law her state’s Counseling Compact legislation.
This milestone makes Kansas the twenty-first state to sign the Counseling Compact into law, allowing professional counselors licensed and residing in a compact member state to practice in other compact member states without the need for multiple licenses.
“This is a significant moment for citizens and professional counselors in Kansas. I want to thank each person that participated throughout the last several months to help get H.B. 2288 to this point. This was an effort that required everyone,” said Andrew Secor, President of the Kansas Counseling Association.
“I’m proud to sign my 300th bipartisan bill to accomplish two important goals: Expanding our state’s workforce and making it easier for Kansans to receive the mental health care they need,” Governor Kelly said. “This bill proves that on so many issues facing our state, the best legislation comes from compromise and collaboration, finding commonsense, middle-of-the-road solutions.”
Funded and created by the American Counseling Association, the Counseling Compact was finalized in December 2020 and has now been passed by the legislatures in Georgia, Maryland, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Utah, Maine, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Delaware, Wyoming, Arkansas, Virginia, and Kansas. Currently, the Counseling Compact has been introduced in 22 states this legislative session.
Compacts provide a pathway for counselors to move seamlessly from one state to another through an agreement among states to recognize another state’s license. Previously, counselors have had difficulty transferring their licenses from one state/jurisdiction to another because of the independent nature of jurisdictional licensing rules and regulations. There was little consistency regarding the requirements for licensure and these varying requirements make it difficult to transfer one’s license.
The Counseling Compact enables professional counselors who meet uniform licensure requirements to quickly obtain a privilege to practice, which is equivalent to a license to practice counseling in another state.