H.B. 4317: COMMITTEE SUMMARY MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS
House Bill 4317
Sponsor: Representative Dan Gustafson House Committee: Regulatory Affairs
Senate Committee: Economic Development, International Trade, and Regulatory Affairs Date Completed: 4-12-95
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to provide for the licensing and regulation of marriage and family therapists; specify the application and license fees; and repeal Article 15 of the Occupational Code, which currently provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists, and Section 19 of the State License Fee Act, which specifies the application and license fees. The bill would take effect January 1, 1996.
The bill, in general, would place the existing licensure and regulation requirements for marriage and family therapists in the Public Health Code, and repeal those provisions as currently found in the Occupational Code. In addition, however, the bill would add three public members to the current six-member Board of Marriage and Family Therapy; require that the mandatory academic training for therapists obtained from an accredited training program, college, or university be approved by the Board; and require the Board to grant marriage and family therapy licenses. Currently, under the Occupational Code, the Department of Commerce must grant a marriage and family therapy license to a qualified person.
The bill also specifies that the current members of the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy would serve until their successors were appointed or until their respective terms expired, whichever occurred first. If the term of a Board member had not expired on the bill's effective date, however, the member's term would expire on June 30 of the year in which the term was supposed to expire. Rules promulgated by the Board and in effect on the bill's effective date would continue in effect to the extent that they did not conflict with the Public Health Code. The rules would have to be enforced, and could be amended or rescinded, by the Board.
An individual licensed under current law on the bill's effective date would remain licensed until the license expired; he or she could renew the license under the Public Health Code.
MCL 333.16131 et al. Legislative Analyst: L. Burghardt
Revenue generated through license renewals and applications would be provided to the Department of Public Health, instead of the Department of Commerce, to cover the costs of licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists. As of the end of March 1994, there
were 1,137 licensed therapists. A total of 22 applications were received during FY 1992-93. Total revenue to the Department of Public Health could be as much as $60,000 during FY 1995-96.
There would not be a fiscal impact on local governmental units.
Fiscal Analyst: K. Lindquist
S9596\S4317SA
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.