HB 727 — Marriage/Family Therapy Modifications (North Carolina)
Status snapshot
- Title: Marriage/Family Therapy Modifications
- Primary sponsor: Rep. Reeder
- Statutes amended: G.S. 90‑270.56 and G.S. 90‑270.63
- Effective date (as drafted): October 1, 2025 — applies to applications filed on or after that date.
- Board authority: North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board may adopt implementing rules.
Purpose and intent
- To modify North Carolina’s licensure rules for marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and MFT associates, with a focus on reciprocal (out‑of‑state) licensure and the scope of criminal history record checks for applicants.
Key provisions
1. Reciprocity / issuance of out‑of‑state licenses (G.S. 90‑270.56)
- The Board “shall” issue an MFT or MFT‑associate license by reciprocity when an applicant meets prescribed conditions (shifts from discretionary to mandatory issuance when criteria are satisfied).
- Eliminates or reduces a prior longer experience requirement by allowing applicants who have been licensed and actively practicing for at least two continuous years in another state to qualify for reciprocity (committee substitute language clarifies at‑least‑two‑years threshold).
- Requires the applicant to hold an unrestricted license in good standing in the other state and have no unresolved complaints in any jurisdiction.
- Requires passage of the National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination (or the clinical exam required by California’s licensing board) as part of the reciprocity eligibility.
Criminal history record checks (G.S. 90‑270.63)
- Expands the statutory definition of “applicant” subject to criminal history record checks to explicitly include persons applying for licensure under the reciprocity provision (G.S. 90‑270.56).
- Leaves the Board authority to carry out background checks consistent with existing statute.
Rulemaking
- Grants the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board authority to adopt any rules necessary to implement the act.
Who is affected
- Primary: Out‑of‑state licensed marriage and family therapists and MFT associates seeking licensure in North Carolina (reciprocity applicants).
- Secondary: The Licensure Board (administration/process changes), employers and consumers in NC (potential workforce and access impacts).
- Public safety stakeholders: criminal history checks remain a required gate for licensure.
Potential impacts
- Increased portability: Shortening the required continuous licensure/active practice period to two years (and making issuance mandatory when criteria are met) could make it easier for experienced MFTs licensed elsewhere to obtain NC licenses, potentially expanding the available mental‑health workforce.
- Consumer protection: Continued criminal background checks and the requirement of an unrestricted out‑of‑state license seek to balance increased portability with public‑safety safeguards.
- Regulatory workload: The Board may need to update rules and processes to implement mandatory reciprocity and expanded applicant definitions for background checks.
Timing and implementation
- Drafted effective date is October 1, 2025, and the provisions apply to licensure applications submitted on or after that date. The Board may adopt rules to effectuate the law before or after implementation as authorized.
