SB196,28,2423 (s) “Privilege to practice” means a legal authorization, which is equivalent to
24a license, permitting the practice of professional counseling in a remote state.
SB196,29,2
1(t) “Professional counseling” means the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment
2of behavioral health conditions by a licensed professional counselor.
SB196,29,43 (u) “Remote state” means a member state other than the home state, where a
4licensee is exercising or seeking to exercise the privilege to practice.
SB196,29,65 (v) “Rule” means a regulation promulgated by the commission that has the
6force of law.
SB196,29,97 (w) “Single state license” means a licensed professional counselor license
8issued by a member state that authorizes practice only within the issuing state and
9does not include a privilege to practice in any other member state.
SB196,29,1110 (x) “State” means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United
11States of America that regulates the practice of professional counseling.
SB196,29,1412 (y) “Telehealth” means the application of telecommunication technology to
13deliver professional counseling services remotely to assess, diagnose, and treat
14behavioral health conditions.
SB196,29,1715 (z) “Unencumbered license” means a license that authorizes a licensed
16professional counselor to engage in the full and unrestricted practice of professional
17counseling.
SB196,29,19 18(3) State participation in the compact. (a) To participate in the compact, a
19state must currently:
SB196,29,2020 1. License and regulate licensed professional counselors.
SB196,29,2221 2. Require licensees to pass a nationally recognized exam approved by the
22commission.
SB196,29,2523 3. Require licensees to have a 60 semester-hour (or 90 quarter-hour) master's
24degree in counseling or 60 semester-hours (or 90 quarter-hours) of graduate course
25work including the following topic areas:
SB196,30,1
1a. Professional counseling orientation and ethical practice;
SB196,30,22 b. Social and cultural diversity;
SB196,30,33 c. Human growth and development;
SB196,30,44 d. Career development;
SB196,30,55 e. Counseling and helping relationships;
SB196,30,66 f. Group counseling and group work;
SB196,30,77 g. Diagnosis and treatment; assessment and testing;
SB196,30,88 h. Research and program evaluation; and
SB196,30,99 i. Other areas as determined by the commission.
SB196,30,1110 4. Require licensees to complete a supervised postgraduate professional
11experience as defined by the commission.
SB196,30,1312 5. Have a mechanism in place for receiving and investigating complaints about
13licensees.
SB196,30,1414 (b) A member state shall:
SB196,30,1615 1. Participate fully in the commission's data system, including using the
16commission's unique identifier as defined in rules;
SB196,30,1917 2. Notify the commission, in compliance with the terms of the compact and
18rules, of any adverse action or the availability of investigative information regarding
19a licensee;
SB196,30,2520 3. Implement or utilize procedures for considering the criminal history records
21of applicants for an initial privilege to practice. These procedures shall include the
22submission of fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for
23the purpose of obtaining an applicant's criminal history record information from the
24federal bureau of investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state's
25criminal records;
SB196,31,4
1a. A member state must fully implement a criminal background check
2requirement, within a time frame established by rule, by receiving the results of the
3federal bureau of investigation record search and shall use the results in making
4licensure decisions.
SB196,31,95 b. Communication between a member state, the commission and among
6member states regarding the verification of eligibility for licensure through the
7compact shall not include any information received from the federal bureau of
8investigation relating to a federal criminal records check performed by a member
9state under P. L. 92-544.
SB196,31,1010 4. Comply with the rules of the commission;
SB196,31,1311 5. Require an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet
12the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as all
13other applicable state laws;
SB196,31,1614 6. Grant the privilege to practice to a licensee holding a valid unencumbered
15license in another member state in accordance with the terms of the compact and
16rules; and
SB196,31,1817 7. Provide for the attendance of the state's commissioner to the counseling
18compact commission meetings.
SB196,31,1919 (c) Member states may charge a fee for granting the privilege to practice.
SB196,31,2420 (d) Individuals not residing in a member state shall continue to be able to apply
21for a member state's single state license as provided under the laws of each member
22state. However, the single state license granted to these individuals shall not be
23recognized as granting a privilege to practice professional counseling in any other
24member state.
SB196,32,2
1(e) Nothing in this compact shall affect the requirements established by a
2member state for the issuance of a single state license.
SB196,32,63 (f) A license issued to a licensed professional counselor by a home state to a
4resident in that state shall be recognized by each member state as authorizing a
5licensed professional counselor to practice professional counseling, under a privilege
6to practice, in each member state.
SB196,32,8 7(4) Privilege to practice. (a) To exercise the privilege to practice under the
8terms and provisions of the compact, the licensee shall:
SB196,32,99 1. Hold a license in the home state;
SB196,32,1110 2. Have a valid United States social security number or national practitioner
11identifier;
SB196,32,1312 3. Be eligible for a privilege to practice in any member state in accordance with
13pars. (d), (g), and (h);
SB196,32,1514 4. Have not had any encumbrance or restriction against any license or privilege
15to practice within the previous 2 years;
SB196,32,1716 5. Notify the commission that the licensee is seeking the privilege to practice
17within a remote state(s);
SB196,32,1818 6. Pay any applicable fees, including any state fee, for the privilege to practice;
SB196,32,2019 7. Meet any continuing competence/education requirements established by the
20home state;
SB196,32,2221 8. Meet any jurisprudence requirements established by the remote state(s) in
22which the licensee is seeking a privilege to practice; and
SB196,32,2523 9. Report to the commission any adverse action, encumbrance, or restriction on
24license taken by any non-member state within 30 days from the date the action is
25taken.
SB196,33,3
1(b) The privilege to practice is valid until the expiration date of the home state
2license. The licensee must comply with the requirements of par. (a) to maintain the
3privilege to practice in the remote state.
SB196,33,54 (c) A licensee providing professional counseling in a remote state under the
5privilege to practice shall adhere to the laws and regulations of the remote state.
SB196,33,126 (d) A licensee providing professional counseling services in a remote state is
7subject to that state's regulatory authority. A remote state may, in accordance with
8due process and that state's laws, remove a licensee's privilege to practice in the
9remote state for a specific period of time, impose fines, and/or take any other
10necessary actions to protect the health and safety of its citizens. The licensee may
11be ineligible for a privilege to practice in any member state until the specific time for
12removal has passed and all fines are paid.
SB196,33,1413 (e) If a home state license is encumbered, the licensee shall lose the privilege
14to practice in any remote state until the following occur:
SB196,33,1515 1. The home state license is no longer encumbered; and
SB196,33,1716 2. Have not had any encumbrance or restriction against any license or privilege
17to practice within the previous 2 years.
SB196,33,2018 (f) Once an encumbered license in the home state is restored to good standing,
19the licensee must meet the requirements of par. (a) to obtain a privilege to practice
20in any remote state.
SB196,33,2321 (g) If a licensee's privilege to practice in any remote state is removed, the
22individual may lose the privilege to practice in all other remote states until the
23following occur:
SB196,33,2524 1. The specific period of time for which the privilege to practice was removed
25has ended;
SB196,34,1
12. All fines have been paid; and
SB196,34,32 3. Have not had any encumbrance or restriction against any license or privilege
3to practice within the previous 2 years.
SB196,34,54 (h) Once the requirements of par. (g) have been met, the licensee must meet the
5requirements in par. (a) to obtain a privilege to practice in a remote state.
SB196,34,8 6(5) Obtaining a new home state license based on a privilege to practice. (a)
7A licensed professional counselor may hold a home state license, which allows for a
8privilege to practice in other member states, in only one member state at a time.
SB196,34,109 (b) If a licensed professional counselor changes primary state of residence by
10moving between two member states:
SB196,34,1411 1. The licensed professional counselor shall file an application for obtaining a
12new home state license based on a privilege to practice, pay all applicable fees, and
13notify the current and new home state in accordance with applicable rules adopted
14by the commission.
SB196,34,1815 2. Upon receipt of an application for obtaining a new home state license by
16virtue of a privilege to practice, the new home state shall verify that the licensed
17professional counselor meets the pertinent criteria outlined in sub. (4) via the data
18system, without need for primary source verification except for:
SB196,34,2119 a. A federal bureau of investigation fingerprint based criminal background
20check if not previously performed or updated pursuant to applicable rules adopted
21by the commission in accordance with P. L. 92-544;
SB196,34,2222 b. Other criminal background check as required by the new home state; and
SB196,34,2423 c. Completion of any requisite jurisprudence requirements of the new home
24state.
SB196,35,3
13. The former home state shall convert the former home state license into a
2privilege to practice once the new home state has activated the new home state
3license in accordance with applicable rules adopted by the commission.
SB196,35,64 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this compact, if the licensed
5professional counselor cannot meet the criteria in sub. (4), the new home state may
6apply its requirements for issuing a new single state license.
SB196,35,87 5. The licensed professional counselor shall pay all applicable fees to the new
8home state in order to be issued a new home state license.
SB196,35,129 (c) If a licensed professional counselor changes primary state of residence by
10moving from a member state to a non-member state, or from a non-member state
11to a member state, the state criteria shall apply for issuance of a single state license
12in the new state.
SB196,35,1513 (d) Nothing in this compact shall interfere with a licensee's ability to hold a
14single state license in multiple states, however for the purposes of this compact, a
15licensee shall have only one home state license.
SB196,35,1716 (e) Nothing in this compact shall affect the requirements established by a
17member state for the issuance of a single state license.
SB196,35,23 18(6) Active duty military personnel or their spouses. Active duty military
19personnel, or their spouse, shall designate a home state where the individual has a
20current license in good standing. The individual may retain the home state
21designation during the period the service member is on active duty. Subsequent to
22designating a home state, the individual shall only change their home state through
23application for licensure in the new state, or through the process outlined in sub. (5).
SB196,36,3 24(7) Compact privilege to practice telehealth. (a) Member states shall
25recognize the right of a licensed professional counselor, licensed by a home state in

1accordance with sub. (3) and under rules promulgated by the commission, to practice
2professional counseling in any member state via telehealth under a privilege to
3practice as provided in the compact and rules promulgated by the commission.
SB196,36,64 (b) A licensee providing professional counseling services in a remote state
5under the privilege to practice shall adhere to the laws and regulations of the remote
6state.
SB196,36,9 7(8) Adverse actions. (a) In addition to the other powers conferred by state law,
8a remote state shall have the authority, in accordance with existing state due process
9law, to:
SB196,36,1110 1. Take adverse action against a licensed professional counselor's privilege to
11practice within that member state; and
SB196,36,2012 2. Issue subpoenas for both hearings and investigations that require the
13attendance and testimony of witnesses as well as the production of evidence.
14Subpoenas issued by a licensing board in a member state for the attendance and
15testimony of witnesses or the production of evidence from another member state
16shall be enforced in the latter state by any court of competent jurisdiction, according
17to the practice and procedure of that court applicable to subpoenas issued in
18proceedings pending before it. The issuing authority shall pay any witness fees,
19travel expenses, mileage, and other fees required by the service statutes of the state
20in which the witnesses or evidence are located.
SB196,36,2221 3. Only the home state shall have the power to take adverse action against a
22licensed professional counselor's license issued by the home state.
SB196,37,223 (b) For purposes of taking adverse action, the home state shall give the same
24priority and effect to reported conduct received from a member state as it would if

1the conduct had occurred within the home state. In so doing, the home state shall
2apply its own state laws to determine appropriate action.
SB196,37,83 (c) The home state shall complete any pending investigations of a licensed
4professional counselor who changes primary state of residence during the course of
5the investigations. The home state shall also have the authority to take appropriate
6action(s) and shall promptly report the conclusions of the investigations to the
7administrator of the data system. The administrator of the coordinated licensure
8information system shall promptly notify the new home state of any adverse actions.
SB196,37,129 (d) A member state, if otherwise permitted by state law, may recover from the
10affected licensed professional counselor the costs of investigations and dispositions
11of cases resulting from any adverse action taken against that licensed professional
12counselor.
SB196,37,1513 (e) A member state may take adverse action based on the factual findings of the
14remote state, provided that the member state follows its own procedures for taking
15the adverse action.
SB196,37,1616 (f) Joint investigations:
SB196,37,1917 1. In addition to the authority granted to a member state by its respective
18professional counseling practice act or other applicable state law, any member state
19may participate with other member states in joint investigations of licensees.
SB196,37,2220 2. Member states shall share any investigative, litigation, or compliance
21materials in furtherance of any joint or individual investigation initiated under the
22compact.
SB196,38,423 (g) If adverse action is taken by the home state against the license of a licensed
24professional counselor, the licensed professional counselor's privilege to practice in
25all other member states shall be deactivated until all encumbrances have been

1removed from the state license. All home state disciplinary orders that impose
2adverse action against the license of a licensed professional counselor shall include
3a statement that the licensed professional counselor's privilege to practice is
4deactivated in all member states during the pendency of the order.
SB196,38,75 (h) If a member state takes adverse action, it shall promptly notify the
6administrator of the data system. The administrator of the data system shall
7promptly notify the home state of any adverse actions by remote states.
SB196,38,98 (i) Nothing in this compact shall override a member state's decision that
9participation in an alternative program may be used in lieu of adverse action.
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