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H 2218

An Act to further enhance behavioral health workforce development

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Brady and 5 co-sponsors

Directs state agencies to add LMHCs and LSMHCs to official job classifications, improving recognition, recruitment, and use of licensed behavioral health professionals.

Accompanied a study order, see H5319 (under House Rule 27)
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Bill Summary · H 2218

Summary: House Bill 2218 – An Act to further enhance behavioral health workforce development

Basic bill information

  • Bill Number: H 2218 (House Docket No. 2218)
  • Title: An Act to further enhance behavioral health workforce development
  • Introduced: February 27, 2025
  • Current Status: Hearing scheduled for July 28, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Room A-2)
  • Committee Action: Referred to the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery (Legislative Actions show referral on 2025-02-27; Senate concurrence noted)
  • Related Bill: HD 1465 (listed as related/replaces)

Purpose and intent

The bill aims to strengthen the behavioral health workforce by ensuring that licensed behavioral health professionals are explicitly reflected in state job classifications for key public agencies. The underlying goal is to promote consistent recognition, recruitment, and utilization of licensed mental health professionals across state departments that provide behavioral health services.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 – Coding and recognition in job classifications: The Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is directed to ensure that the Commissioners of several agencies—Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Youth Services (DYS), Department of Children and Families (DCF), Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA)—update the official Job Classification Specifications to include:
    • Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs)
    • Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselors (LSMHCs)
    • These updates should reflect the full scope of practice for LMHCs and LSMHCs.
  • Section 2 – Timeline for revisions: The job classification revisions must be completed by September 1, 2023, and all relevant behavioral health job postings under the jurisdiction of EOHHS must reflect these revisions by that same date.

Note: The deadline in the text (September 1, 2023) predates the bill’s introduction in 2025, suggesting a potential drafting or clerical inconsistency in the version provided.

Affected parties and impacts

  • State agencies: DMH, DYS, DCF, DPH, and the Department of Personnel Administration (through EOHHS oversight) would be required to update their job classifications.
  • Workforce segments: Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) and Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselors (LSMHCs) would gain explicit inclusion in official classifications and related postings, aligning job data and recruitment with practice scopes.
  • Job postings and recruitment: All postings for behavioral health roles within the affected departments would need to reflect the updated classifications, facilitating clearer hiring standards and potentially improving recruitment and utilization of LMHCs and LSMHCs.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • The bill has moved through the standard filing and referral process and has a scheduled public hearing on July 28, 2025, in the House. No explicit appropriation or funding provisions are described in the provided text, focusing instead on administrative updates to classifications.
  • The “Related Bills” listing (HD 1465) suggests a relationship or replacement in the legislative sequence, but specifics would be clarified through committee analysis.

Potential impact and considerations

  • If enacted, the bill would formalize the presence of LMHCs and LSMHCs in state job classifications, potentially easing hiring and workforce planning for behavioral health services across multiple agencies.
  • The apparent deadline discrepancy should be clarified in committee discussions to ensure feasible and accurate implementation timelines.

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

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