Bill Text: GA HB845 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Professional counselors; foreign-born; temporary permits; provisions

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-11 - House Second Readers [HB845 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2009-HB845-Introduced.html

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09 LC 36 1218

House Bill 845

By: Representative Marin of the 96th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, so as to provide for temporary permits for foreign-born professional counselors for whom English is a second language to practice as professional counselors; to establish a time limit for such temporary permits; to require persons issued temporary permits to practice as professional counselors only under direction and supervision; to limit the practice of persons issued temporary permits; to establish a date for repeal; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 10A of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, is amended by revising Code Section 43-10A-9, relating to examinations, as follows:

"43-10A-9.

(a) The board shall provide for the conduct of examinations for licensure in each specialty at least twice a year. Examinations may be written, oral, experiential, or any combination thereof and shall deal with such theoretical and applied fields as prescribed by the board. The examinee's name shall not be disclosed to any person grading the examination until that grading is complete.

(b) A foreign-born resident of this state shall be eligible for a temporary permit to practice as a professional counselor if he or she:

(1) Possesses a license to practice as a professional counselor in a foreign country and has practiced professionally in such country;

(2) Speaks and writes English as a second language; and

(3) Meets the education, experience, and training requirements in Code Section 43-10A-11.

Such temporary permit shall be valid for two years or until a license is issued, whichever first occurs, and shall not be renewable. A person issued a temporary permit shall practice only under direction and under the supervision of a supervisor as defined in paragraph (16) of Code Section 43-10A-3 and shall limit his or her practice primarily to persons with whom he or she shares a language fluency."

SECTION 2.

The subsection (a) designation and subsection (b) of Code Section 43-10A-9 enacted by Section 1 of this Act shall be repealed on December 31, 2013.

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.