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H 4456

An Act expanding licensure opportunity for school counselors

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Ryan Hamilton and 4 co-sponsors

Expands licensure pathways for SIPPs, including school counselors, to become licensed mental health counselors by aligning education, supervised experience, and exam eligibility.

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
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Bill Summary · H 4456

Summary: H 4456 — An Act Expanding Licensure Opportunity for School Counselors

Overview

  • Bill Number: H 4456
  • Title: An Act expanding licensure opportunity for school counselors
  • Purpose: Create a pathway for specialized instructional support personnel (SIPPs), including school counselors, to pursue licensure as mental health counselors, by aligning education, supervised experience, and examination eligibility with the requirements for mental health counselor licensure.
  • Status: Reported favorably by the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and referred to the House Ways and Means
  • Introduced: September 8, 2025
  • Legislative context: In the 194th General Court (2025-2026)

What the bill would do (key provisions)

Section 1: Education and supervised experience requirements (modifies M.G.L. ch. 112, §165)

  • Replaces the current licensure pathway language with a standard that requires:
    • Completion of a master’s degree in a relevant field from a state-licensed educational institution, meeting national standards for a master’s degree with a subspecialization in areas such as marriage and family therapy, rehabilitation counseling, counseling, or other board-approved subspecializations.
    • Credit from relevant graduate coursework earned toward the credit requirement for professional licensure as SIPPs (which includes school counselors, school social workers, adjustment counselors, school psychologists) may be applied toward this educational requirement for licensure as a mental health counselor, even if the graduate program is less than 60 credits.
  • Supervised clinical experience:
    • Two additional years of supervised clinical experience in the relevant field (clinic, hospital, or equivalent center) under a board-approved supervisor.
    • If graduate coursework or clinical experience is used from SIPP credentials, applicants must also demonstrate evidence-based training in suicide prevention or intervention (can be part of graduate program, professional development, or board-approved continuing education).
    • Supervision definition: at least 200 hours of supervised clinical experience, with at least 100 hours of individual supervision by a clinician with specified qualifications (e.g., masters or doctorate in related fields or medical degree with psychiatry subspecialization).
    • SIPPs’ experience may count toward the supervised experience requirement only for applicants seeking licensure as a mental health counselor.
    • School counselors’ experience may be supervised by a supervisor who holds a master’s in school counseling and is licensed as a mental health counselor.

Section 2: Examination eligibility for SIPPs

  • Adds language clarifying that SIPPs, including school counselors, shall be qualified to sit for the written or oral examination for licensure as a mental health counselor.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: School counselors and other SIPPs seeking licensure as mental health counselors.
  • Educational and supervisory institutions: State-licensed educational institutions, mental health facilities (clinics/hospitals), DESE (for SIPP licensure pathways), and boards overseeing mental health and school licensure.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • The bill was reported favorably by the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure on September 8, 2025.
  • It was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee on the same date.
  • No specific effective date is stated in the text provided; typical implementation would follow final passage and potential additional regulatory or funding steps.

Potential impact

  • expands licensure pathways for school-based professionals to become licensed mental health counselors.
  • could enhance access to mental health services through school and community settings by broadening the workforce.
  • creates integrated credentialing requirements that recognize SIPP coursework and supervision experiences.
  • may require implementing agencies to coordinate between DESE, licensing boards, and training programs to ensure compliance and quality standards.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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