Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists
Legislative Updates - 2018
Public Chapter 611
This law
requires an agency holding a public hearing as part of its rulemaking process to make copies of the rule available in “redline form” to people attending the hearing.
This took effect July 1, 2018.
Public Chapter 638
This chapter prohibits healthcare prescribers and their employees, agents, or independent contractors from in-person solicitation, telemarketing, or telephonic solicitation of victims within 30 days of an accident or disaster for the purpose of marketing services of the healing arts related to the accident or disaster. There are specific exceptions laid out in the chapter.
This act took effect July 1, 2018.
Public Chapter 675
This act requires the department of health to accept allegations of opioid abuse or diversion and for the department to publicize a means of reporting allegations.
Any entity that prescribes, dispenses, OR handles opioids is required to provide information to employees about reporting suspected opioid abuse/diversion. That notice is to either be provided individually to the employee in writing and documented by the employer OR by posting a sign in a conspicuous, non-public area of minimum height and width
stating: “NOTICE: PLEASE REPORT ANY SUSPECTED ABUSE OR DIVERSION OF OPIOIDS, OR ANY OTHER IMPROPER BEHAVIOR WITH RESPECT TO OPIOIDS, TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S COMPLAINT INTAKE LINE: 800-852-2187.”
Whistleblower protections are also established. An individual who makes a report in good faith may not be terminated or suffer adverse licensure action solely based on the report. The individual also is immune from any civil liability related to a good faith report.
This act takes effect January 1, 2019.
Public Chapter 744
This statute allows a licensing entity the discretion to not suspend/deny/revoke a license in cases where the licensee has defaulted or become delinquent on student loans IF a medical hardship significantly contributed to the default or delinquency.
This act takes effect January 1, 2019.
Public Chapter 745 and Public Chapter 793
These public chapters work together to create and implement the “Fresh Start Act.” Licensing authorities are prohibited from denying an application or renewal for a license/certificate/registration due to a prior criminal conviction that does not directly relate to the applicable occupation. Lays out the requirements on the licensing authorities as well as the exceptions to the law (ex: rebuttable presumption regarding A and B level felonies).
These acts took effect July 1, 2018.
Public Chapter 754
This chapter prevents any board, commission, committee, etc. created by statute from promulgating rules, issuing statements, or issuing intra-agency memoranda that infringe on an entity member’s freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech includes, but is not limited to, a member’s freedom to express an opinion concerning any matter relating to that governmental entity, excluding matters deemed to be confidential under TCA 10-7-504.
Violations as determined by a joint evaluation committee may result in recommendations to the general assembly concerning the entity’s sunset status, rulemaking authority and funding.
This act took effect April 18, 2018.
Public Chapter 844
This act requires the department of education to establish a student support collaborative to review and define the roles and responsibilities for school social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, and school nurses. The collaborative shall identify available resources and areas the groups can collaborate on to provide high quality
support to students. The collaborative shall include (among others) representatives of:
1. The National Association of Social Workers, TN Chapter
2. The Tennessee Association of School Social Workers
3. The Tennessee Association of School Counselors
4. The Tennessee Association of School Nurses
5. The Tennessee Association of School Psychologists
This act took effect April 26, 2018.
Public Chapter 929
This act redefines policy and rule and requires each agency to submit a list of all policies, with certain exceptions, that have been adopted or changed in the previous year to the chairs of the government operations committees on July 1 of each year. The submission shall include a summary of the policy and the justification for adopting a policy instead of a rule.
This act also prohibits any policy or rule by any agency that infringes upon an agency member’s freedom of speech.
Finally, this act establishes that an agency’s appointing authority shall have the sole power to remove a member from a board, committee, etc.
This act took effect July 1, 2018 and applies to policies adopted on or after that date.
Public Chapter 954
This legislation requires the initial licensure fee for low-income persons to be waived. Low income individuals per the
statute are defined as persons who are enrolled in a state or federal public assistance program including but not limited to TANF, Medicaid, and SNAP. All licensing authorities are required to promulgate rules to effectuate the purposes of this act.
This act took effect January 1, 2019.
Public Chapter 964
This legislation requires the department of children’s services (DCS) to develop instructional guidelines for child safety training programs by January 1, 2019 for members of professions that frequently deal with children at risk of abuse. DCS is required to work with each licensing board to ensure any child safety programs created by a licensing board fully and accurately reflect the best practices for identifying and reporting abuse as appropriate for each profession.
This act took effect May 15, 2018.
Public Chapter 997
This act requires public safety employers to provide, in addition to any other mental health benefits, not less than 10 visits to a mental health provider for purposes of treating PTSD. The act establishes a number of other requirements on public safety employers. The legislation also requires that a mental health service provider (that provides treatment to public safety employees) to participate in training at least once per year that familiarizes the provider with the unique problems associated with each public safety profession lifestyle. Some of the mental health service providers that may be affected by this act are professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, marital and family therapists, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, and occupational therapists.
This act took effect July 1, 2018.
Public Chapter 1021
This act allows for appeals of contested case hearings to be in the chancery court nearest the residence of the person contesting the agency action or at that person’s discretion, in the chancery court nearest the place the action arose, or in the chancery court of Davidson County. Petitions seeking review must be filed within 60 days after entry of the agency’s final order.
This act took effect July 1, 2018.