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Bill

S 1883

Reduces amount of supervised counseling experience required for professional counselor licensure.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Kristin Corrado and 1 co-sponsor

New Jersey would require 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised counseling after master’s (with up to 1,500 hours pre-degree and 1,500 post-degree still required), instead of 3 years

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
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Bill Summary · S 1883

Summary of Bill S 1883 (Session 222) – New Jersey

Purpose

  • The bill seeks to reduce the supervised counseling experience required for licensure as a professional counselor.

Key provisions and changes

  • Current law (before bill):
    Requires at least 3 years of supervised full-time counseling experience in a professional setting, with up to 1 year (or 1,500 hours) allowable before earning the master’s degree. An option to reduce by 30 graduate credit hours beyond the master’s degree is available if those hours are clearly related to counseling and acceptable to the committee. In all cases, applicants must have at least 1 year (1,500 hours) of supervised experience after earning the master’s degree.

  • Proposed changes under S 1883:

    • Reduced experience requirement: Applicants would need at least 2 years or 3,000 hours of supervised full-time counseling experience (instead of 3 years/3,000 hours total, consistent hours), in a professional counseling setting acceptable to the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee.
    • Pre-degree experience allowed: The bill still allows up to 1 year or 1,500 hours of the required supervised experience to be completed prior to the granting of the master’s degree.
    • Credit for additional graduate coursework: An applicant may substitute 30 graduate semester hours beyond the master's degree to eliminate one year (1,500 hours) of the required supervised experience, provided those graduate hours are clearly related to counseling and acceptable to the committee.
    • Minimum after master’s degree: Regardless of substitutions, applicants must have no fewer than 1 year (1,500 hours) of supervised professional counseling experience after earning the master’s degree.

  • Other typical licensure requirements retained:

    • Completion of at least 60 graduate semester hours, including a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling from a regionally accredited institution, with at least 45 hours distributed across specified content areas (e.g., counseling theory, human development, appraisal, cultural foundations, etc.).
    • Evidence of being at least 18 years old and of good moral character.
    • Passage of the National Counselor Examination administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors.

Who is affected

  • Aspiring licensed professional counselors in New Jersey who must satisfy supervised counseling experience requirements as part of licensure.
  • Educational programs and supervisors who oversee supervised counseling experiences, since criteria and acceptable settings are determined by the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee.
  • The Professional Counselor Examiners Committee which would administer and interpret the revised experience requirements and related criteria.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: The act would take effect immediately upon enactment.
  • Legislative status: Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026, and referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. Co-sponsors include Kristin Corrado and Latham Tiver.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Access and timeliness: Lowering the total supervised experience from 3 to 2 years could expedite licensure for some candidates, potentially increasing the pool of licensed counselors.
  • Quality and preparedness: The substitution option (crediting additional graduate hours to reduce supervised time) remains, so the state continues to balance practical experience with formal education.
  • Workforce implications: May affect long-term availability of licensed professionals in mental health settings, depending on how employers view the revised credentialing timeline and the committee’s criteria for acceptable experience.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a one-page briefing for policymakers or stakeholders, including a comparison table of current law vs. proposed changes.

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

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