HB26-1228 • 2026

Marriage & Family Therapy Clinical Requirements

Under current law, an individual who has completed a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, or its equivalent, from a degree program that included an internship or practicum in th

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. L. Feret, Rep. R. Stewart, Sen. J. Danielson, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. S. Camacho, Rep. M. Carter, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. L. García, Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. N. Ricks, Rep. M. Rutinel, Rep. G. Rydin, Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. T. Story
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the bill changes the existing requirements regarding post-degree practice experience.

Marriage & Family Therapy Clinical Requirements

This bill allows individuals who completed a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy without an internship or practicum to register as LMFT candidates but requires them to complete additional supervised clinical hours.

What This Bill Does

Allows people who completed master's or doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy without internships or practicums to be registered as LMFT candidates.
Requires these candidates to complete an extra 700 supervised clinical hours compared to those with internships or practicums.

Who It Names or Affects

People who want to become licensed marriage and family therapists in Colorado
Degree programs that offer master's or doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy

Terms To Know

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a professional title for someone who is licensed to practice marriage and family therapy.
Supervised clinical hours: Hours of work under the guidance of an experienced therapist where candidates provide therapy services to clients.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the additional supervised clinical hours will be structured or supervised.
It is unclear if there are any specific qualifications for the supervisors who oversee these extra hours.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-09 Senate
Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-03-11 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology
2026-03-06 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-05 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-04 House
House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-02-18 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs & Labor

Official Summary Text

Under current law, an individual who has completed a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, or its equivalent, from a degree program that included an internship or practicum in the principles and practice of marriage and family therapy may be registered as a candidate for licensure and must complete at least 1,500 supervised clinical hours to be licensed as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT).
The bill allows an applicant whose master's or doctoral degree program did not include an internship or practicum to also be registered as an LMFT candidate, but requires these candidates to complete an additional 700 supervised clinical hours to become an LMFT.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0110.01 Brita Darling x2241 HOUSE BILL 26-1228
House Committees Senate Committees
Business Affairs & Labor Business, Labor, & Technology
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING MEASURES TO INCREAS E ACCESS TO LICENSURE AS A101
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Under current law, an individual who has completed a master's or
doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, or its equivalent, from a
degree program that included an internship or practicum in the principles
and practice of marriage and family therapy may be registered as a
candidate for licensure and must complete at least 1,500 supervised
clinical hours to be licensed as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT).
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 13, 2026
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 6, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
March 5, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Stewart R. and Feret, Bacon, Brown, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, Duran, Garcia, Jackson,
Lieder, Lindsay, Marshall, Nguyen, Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Story
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Danielson,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
The bill allows an applicant whose master's or doctoral degree
program did not include an internship or practicum to also be registered
as an LMFT candidate, but requires these candidates to complete an
additional 700 supervised clinical hours to become an LMFT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-245-504, amend2
(1)(c) and (1)(d) as follows:3
12-245-504. Qualifications - examination - licensure and4
registration - rules.5
(1) The board shall issue a license as a marriage and family6
therapist to each applicant who files an application in a form and manner7
required by the board, submits the fee required by the board pursuant to8
section 12-245-205, and furnishes evidence satisfactory to the board that9
the applicant:10
(c) Has completed a master's or doctoral degree from an11
accredited school or college in marriage and family therapy or its12
equivalent as determined by the board, and the degree:13
(I) Includes a practicum or internship in the principles and14
practice of marriage and family therapy; OR15
(II) FOR AN APPLICANT APPLYING ON OR AFTER MARCH 1, 2027,16
DOES NOT INCLUDE A PRACTICUM OR INTERNSHIP IN THE PRINCIPLES AND17
PRACTICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY, AND THE REQUIREMENTS18
OF SUBSECTION (1)(d) OF THIS SECTION ARE MET PRIOR TO LICENSURE AS19
A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST;20
(d) Subsequent to completing the applicant's master's or doctoral21
degree, has had at least two years of post-master's or one year of22
postdoctoral practice in individual and marriage and family therapy,23
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including at least one thousand five hundred hours, OR, FOR AN APPLICANT1
DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(c)(II) OF THIS SECTION , SEVEN HUNDRED2
HOURS IN ADDITION TO THE HOURS REQUIRED FOR AN APPLICANT3
DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(c)(I) OF THIS SECTION , of face-to-face4
direct client contact as determined by the board for the purpose of5
assessment and intervention under clinical supervision that may be in6
person or THROUGH telesupervision; and7
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act8
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the9
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August10
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a11
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the12
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act13
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect14
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in15
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the16
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.17
1228-3-