Bill
S 1382
Massachusetts creates a 9-member Board of Registration for Licensed Mental Health Counselors to regulate LMHC licensure and discipline, transferring oversight from current board.
Note on source materials / apparent inconsistencies
- The file you provided contains conflicting metadata: the short title at the top refers to prohibiting concealed firearms in national parks (a federal-style subject), sponsors listed (Jim Banks, José Serrano) appear to be from another jurisdiction, and several committee referrals are inconsistent.
- The actual bill text and Senate docket (SENATE DOCKET NO. 2089 / Senate No. 1382) introduced in the Massachusetts General Court (2025) is a state-level measure to establish a Board of Registration of Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC). This summary focuses on the bill text itself (establishing the LMHC board), which appears to be the operative legislation.
Summary — An Act establishing a board of registration of licensed mental health counselors (S.1382)
Purpose
- To create a dedicated Board of Registration of Licensed Mental Health Counselors within the Bureau of Health Care (Department of Public Health) and transfer LMHC regulatory authority from the existing structure into that dedicated board.
Key provisions and changes
- Creates a new statutory board (Board of Registration of Licensed Mental Health Counselors) consisting of 9 members, one designated as chair.
- Composition: 7 licensed, practicing mental health counselors (each with at least 5 years’ relevant experience and majority of recent professional time in Massachusetts) and 2 public representatives with no direct affiliation to mental health/human services professions.
- Terms and appointment:
- Staggered initial terms: four members for 1 year, three for 2 years, and two (including the chair) for 3 years; successors serve 3-year terms.
- Governor appoints members (qualified as above); appointees must be Massachusetts residents; appointment terminates within 30 days after a member ceases residency.
- Governor must nominate to fill vacancies within 30 days; Bureau of Professional Licensure/LMHC Board to present nominees within 15 days of openings.
- Governance and operations:
- Board to meet at least twice annually; majority constitutes quorum but must include at least one public member.
- Principal office in Boston; may act elsewhere as needed.
- Members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for necessary expenses.
- Chair elected by board (limit: may not serve as chair more than three years).
- Removal: governor may remove members or chair (after majority recommendation) for neglect, malfeasance, or felony/ crime of moral turpitude — only after a public hearing with 30 days’ notice.
- Members prohibited from participating in matters with pecuniary interest, personal bias, or similar conflicts.
- Regulatory authority:
- Board shall administer and enforce sections 163–172 of chapter 112 (Mass. Gen. Laws) as they pertain to LMHCs.
- Board to promulgate regulations setting education and training requirements for LMHC licensure and adopt other rules as necessary. Proposed rules are subject to review/approval by Bureau Director and Commissioner of Public Health (text indicates a 15‑day review window; full rulemaking procedure truncated in provided text).
- Statutory edits:
- Repeals section 172A of the General Laws.
- Amends sections 163, 164, 165, and 171 to remove or change references to “licensed mental health counselor” where indicated.
- Transitional provision:
- Current sitting LMHC members of the Board of Allied Mental and Human Services Professions are immediately transferred to become members of the new LMHC Board and will seek nominees for remaining LMHC seats.
Who is affected
- Licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs) in Massachusetts (licensure oversight, standards, and discipline).
- LMHC applicants and training programs (education/training standards may change under the new board).
- Patients and employers interacting with LMHCs.
- Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Care, and the former Board of Allied Mental and Human Services Professions (responsibility shift).
Procedural timeline / status (from provided materials)
- Docket/filing: Senate Docket No. 2089 / Senate No. 1382 (filed 1/17/2025 in text). Petitioners named in the bill text: Michael D. Brady and Kenneth P. Sweezey.
- Additional procedural entries provided (dates inconsistent across metadata). The bill has been referred to relevant committees (Mental Health, Substance Use & Recovery per text) and a hearing was scheduled (07/28/2025). Monitor official legislative records for current referral/hearing status and any amendments.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Centralizes LMHC regulation in a profession-specific board, which may increase focus on LMHC standards but could change licensing requirements and disciplinary processes.
- Immediate transfer of current LMHC board members supports continuity; rulemaking authority could alter education, supervision, and practice requirements.
- Financial impact: board members are unpaid; administrative costs for a new board (staffing, operations) would fall to the Department/Bureau — the bill text does not include explicit appropriations.
For the most current status and complete rulemaking language, consult the official Massachusetts legislative website and the full bill text as amended.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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