LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The Florida Legislature is nearly halfway through the annual legislative session which began in early March. There have been a total of 2,992 bills filed and yet only 21 have passed. With session halfway over, it appears this year will result in fewer bills passing than in recent years. Much of this can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Legislature is forced to focus more on how to stretch the state budget in a post-COVID world and less about political disagreements.
premises when a registered intern is providing services in a private practice setting. It would maintain the requirement that the registered intern must practice under indirect supervision.
FMHCA has been actively participating in the legislative process. In fact, FMHCA crafted bill language, attained bill sponsors in the House and Senate and is in the process of securing broad support for legislation that has a positive impact on LMHCs and the people you treat. Specifically, FMHCA is spending this session (and perhaps next session depending on how contentious the bill remains) focusing on a two-part bill which does the following:
The regulation requiring that a qualified supervisor be on the premises only applies to private practice settings and the term “on the premises” has never been defined and therefore cannot be easily enforced. During the COVID-19 pandemic neither the qualified supervisor nor the intern was practicing in person for the most part, so these mental health counseling residents were forced to choose between treating patients’ critical mental health conditions and upholding the law.
1) HB 941/SB 818 would remove the requirement that a supervisor be on the
2) Additionally, Florida Law states that, for the purpose of administering court appointed
Background— Under current law, a licensed mental health professional must be on the premises when clinical services are provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting.
57 INSESSION APRIL 2021
