Licensing professional art therapists and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill establishes a licensure program for professional art therapists administered by the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board. The bill defines “professional art therapy” and provides that, subject to certain exceptions, a person may practice professional art therapy only if the person holds a professional art therapist license. The examining board may grant a professional art therapist license to an applicant who, among other things, receives a master's or doctorate degree in professional art therapy, completes courses related to diagnosis, prevention, treatment, or resolution of mental, emotional, behavioral, and addiction disorders, engages in a certain amount of hours of supervised practice of professional art therapy, and passes an approved examination. The bill authorizes the examining board to promulgate rules that require professional art therapists to complete continuing education requirements every two years to renew their licenses.

The bill adds two licensed professional art therapists and one public member to the examining board. Under the bill, the examining board investigates, holds hearings, and makes findings pertaining to violations of the bill. The examining board may reprimand a professional art therapist or deny, limit, suspend, or revoke a professional art therapist license if it finds that license holder has violated the bill.

Who's behind it

Thomas Tiffany, a Republican, is its author⁠.

6 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DSPS