Bill Text: IL HB4864 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing Act. Provides that a qualified applicant for licensure as a professional counselor must be a graduate of a master's or doctoral level program in the field of counseling, rehabilitation counseling, psychology, or similar degree program approved by the Department. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-07-21 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-1139 [HB4864 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HB4864-Engrossed.html

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HB4864 Engrossed LRB096 17763 ASK 33130 b
AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Professional Counselor and Clinical
Professional Counselor Licensing Act is amended by changing
Section 45 as follows:
(225 ILCS 107/45)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2013)
Sec. 45. Qualifications for a license.
(a) Professional counselor. A person is qualified to be
licensed as a licensed professional counselor, and the
Department shall issue a license authorizing the practice of
professional counseling to an applicant who:
(1) has applied in writing on the prescribed form and
has paid the required fee;
(2) is at least 21 years of age and has not engaged in
conduct or activities which would constitute grounds for
discipline under this Act;
(3) is a graduate of:
(A) a master's or doctoral level program in the
field of counseling, rehabilitation counseling,
psychology, or similar degree program approved by the
Department; or

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(B) in the case of an applicant who applies for
licensure before the effective date of this amendatory
Act of the 96th General Assembly, an approved
baccalaureate program in human services or similar
degree program approved by the Department and can
document the equivalent of 5 years of full-time
satisfactory supervised experience, as established by
rule, under a qualified supervisor;
(4) has passed an examination for the practice of
professional counseling as authorized by the Department;
and
(5) has paid the fees required by this Act.
Any person who has received certification by any State or
national organization whose standards are accepted by the
Department as being substantially similar to the standards in
this Act may apply for a professional counselor license and
need not be examined further.
(b) Clinical professional counselor. A person is qualified
to be licensed as a clinical professional counselor, and the
Department shall issue a license authorizing the practice of
clinical professional counseling to an applicant who:
(1) has applied in writing on the prescribed form and
has paid the required fee;
(2) is at least 21 years of age and has not engaged in
conduct or activities which would constitute grounds for
discipline under this Act;

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(3) is a graduate of:
(A) a master's level program in the field of
counseling, rehabilitation counseling, psychology, or
similar degree program approved by the Department and
has completed the equivalent of 2 years full-time
satisfactory supervised employment or experience
working as a clinical counselor under the direction of
a qualified supervisor subsequent to the degree; or
(B) a doctoral program in the field of counseling,
rehabilitation counseling, psychology, or similar
program approved by the Department and has completed
the equivalent of 2 years full-time satisfactory
supervised employment or experience working as a
clinical counselor under the direction of a qualified
supervisor, at least one year of which is subsequent to
the degree;
(4) has passed the examination for the practice of
clinical professional counseling as authorized by the
Department; and
(5) has paid the fees required by this Act.
Any person who has received certification by any State or
national organization whose standards are accepted by the
Department as being substantially similar to the standards in
this Act may apply for a clinical professional counselor
license, and need not be examined further.
(c) Examination for applicants under this Act shall be held

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at the discretion of the Department from time to time but not
less than once each year. The examination used shall be
authorized by the Department.
(d) Upon application and payment of the required fee, an
applicant who has an active license as a clinical psychologist
or a clinical social worker licensed under the laws of this
State may, without examination, be granted registration as a
licensed clinical professional counselor by the Department.
(Source: P.A. 92-719, eff. 7-25-02.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.