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Sponsor Statement for SB 257
Extend Board of Professional Counselors

An Act extending the termination date of the Board of Professional Counselors.

Under AS 08.29.010 the State Board of Professional Counselors regulates the practice of Professional Counselors ensuring that the requirements laid out for licensure are met and adhered to.

The board consists of five members appointed by the governor. Four members must be licensed professional counselors and one member must be appointed by the general public. Board members serve staggered terms of four years.

The regulation and licensing of qualified professional counselors safeguards the public by ensuring the competence and integrity of those who represent themselves as professional counselors.

The State Board of Professional Counselors is scheduled to terminate June 30, 2002 under AS 08.03.010, Termination of State Boards and Commissions. If the legislature does not act the board would have one year, until June 30, 2003 to administratively conclude its operations.

In accordance with the provisions of Title 24 of the Alaska Statutes, Legislative Budget and Audit conducted a sunset review of the State Board of Professional Counselors. It is the opinion of Legislative Budget and Audit that the State Board of Professional Counselors is operating in an efficient and effective manner and should continue to regulate the counselor profession. SB 257 would extend the State Board of Professional Counselors three years to June 30, 2005.

In their sunset review, Legislative Budget and Audit also recommended that the legislature consider combining the State Board of Professional Counselors and the State Board of Marital and Family Therapists into a single oversight and licensing board. While this legislation does not combine those two boards, it extends the sunset date of the Board of Professional Counselors to coincide with that of the State Board of Marital and Family Therapists. The issue of combining the State Board of Professional Counselors and the State Board of Marital and Family Therapists is one that needs further discussion between the affected boards and the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

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