COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS – Amends existing law to provide for the licensure of certain persons who have served as a chaplain in any branch of the United States military.

LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
545
BY
BUSINESS
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
COUNSELORS
AND
THERAPISTS;
AMENDING
SECTION
54
-
3405,
IDAHO
2
CODE,
TO
PROVIDE
FOR
THE
GRANTING
OF
LICENSURE
AS
A
LICENSED
PROFES
-
3
SIONAL
COUNSELOR
TO
CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS
WHO
HAVE
SERVED
AS
A
CHAPLAIN
IN
4
THE
UNITED
STATES
MILITARY
AND
TO
MAKE
A
TECHNICAL
CORRECTION;
AMENDING
5
SECTION
54
-
3405A,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
PROVIDE
FOR
THE
GRANTING
OF
LICENSURE
6
AS
A
LICENSED
CLINICAL
PROFESSIONAL
COUNSELOR
TO
CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS
7
WHO
HAVE
SERVED
AS
A
CHAPLAIN
IN
THE
UNITED
STATES
MILITARY;
AND
DECLAR
-
8
ING
AN
EMERGENCY
AND
PROVIDING
AN
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
9
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
10
SECTION
1.
That
Section
54
-
3405,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
1
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
12
54
-
3405.
QUALIFICATIONS
FOR
LICENSURE.
(1)
Licensure
as
a
"licensed
13
professional
counselor"
shall
be
restricted
to
persons
who:
14
(a)
Have
not
been
convicted,
found
guilty,
or
received
a
withheld
judg
-
15
ment
or
a
suspended
sentence
in
this
state
or
in
any
other
state
of
a
16
crime
that
is
deemed
relevant
in
accordance
with
section
67
-
9411(1),
17
Idaho
Code;
18
(b)
Have
submitted
to
a
fingerprint
-
based
criminal
history
background
19
check
in
accordance
with
section
67
-
9411A,
Idaho
Code;
and
20
(c)
Have
successfully
completed
each
of
the
following
requirements:
21
(i)
A
master's
degree
or
higher
in
counseling
or
a
related
field
22
of
study,
as
approved
by
the
board,
that
includes
completion
of
a
23
practicum
of
supervised
clinical
contact
as
defined
by
rule;
24
(ii)
An
examination,
if
required
by
the
board's
rules;
and
25
(iii)
One
thousand
(1,000)
hours
of
supervised
experience
in
coun
-
26
seling
acceptable
to
the
board.
27
(2)
In
accordance
with
the
provisions
of
section
67
-
9406,
Idaho
Code,
28
the
provisions
of
subsection
(1)(c)
of
this
section
shall
also
be
deemed
sat
-
29
isfied
with
respect
to
a
person
who:
30
(a)
Is
a
resident
of
the
state
of
Idaho;
31
(b)
Has
served
as
a
chaplain
in
any
branch
of
the
United
States
military
32
as
evidenced
by
a
DD
form
214
certificate
of
release
or
discharge;
33
(c)
Possesses
a
DD
form
214
certificate
of
release
or
discharge
for
each
34
period
of
active
duty
indicating
time
served
in
the
United
States
mili
-
35
tary
with
honorable
discharge
for
all
periods
of
active
duty;
36
(d)
Has
completed
four
(4)
units
of
clinical
pastoral
education;
and
37
(e)
Has
completed
and
possesses
documentation
of
one
thousand
(1,000)
38
hours
of
direct
client
contact
under
the
direction
of
a
supervisory
39
chaplain
or
a
supervisory
counselor
in
any
branch
of
the
United
States
40
military.
41

2
(2)
(3)
A
license
will
not
be
issued
to
an
individual
whose
license,
1
certification
,
or
registration
has
been
revoked
or
suspended
in
this
or
any
2
other
state
and
in
this
or
any
other
related
field.
Such
an
individual
may
3
not
be
licensed
under
this
chapter
unless
the
period
of
revocation
or
sus
-
4
pension
has
been
completed
and
the
board
has
conducted
a
competency
review
5
and
determined
that
an
acceptable
degree
of
rehabilitation
has
been
accom
-
6
plished.
7
(4)
In
accordance
with
the
provisions
of
section
67
-
9406(4),
Idaho
8
Code,
a
person
who
qualifies
for
licensure
pursuant
to
subsection
(2)
of
this
9
section
shall
not
be
required
by
the
board
to
take
an
examination
or
pay
an
10
application
fee.
1
1
SECTION
2.
That
Section
54
-
3405A,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
12
amended
to
read
as
follows:
13
54
-
3405A.
QUALIFICATIONS
FOR
LICENSURE.
(1)
Licensure
as
a
"licensed
14
clinical
professional
counselor"
shall
be
restricted
to
persons
who:
15
(1)
(a)
Hold
a
valid
licensed
professional
counselor
license
in
good
16
standing;
17
(2)
(b)
Document
two
thousand
(2,000)
hours
of
direct
client
contact
18
experience
under
supervision
in
no
less
than
a
two
(2)
year
period
as
set
19
forth
in
this
chapter
and
the
rules
of
the
board;
20
(3)
(c)
Successfully
complete
a
written
examination
as
approved
by
the
21
board
and
defined
in
rules
of
the
board;
and
22
(4)
(d)
Submit
to
a
fingerprint
-
based
criminal
history
background
23
check
in
accordance
with
section
67
-
9411A,
Idaho
Code.
24
(2)(a)
In
accordance
with
the
provisions
of
section
67
-
9406,
Idaho
25
Code,
the
provisions
of
subsection
(1)(a),
(b),
and
(c)
of
this
section
26
shall
be
deemed
satisfied
with
respect
to
a
person
who:
27
(i)
Is
a
resident
of
the
state
of
Idaho;
28
(ii)
Has
served
as
a
chaplain
in
any
branch
of
the
United
States
29
military
as
evidenced
by
a
DD
form
214
certificate
of
release
or
30
discharge;
31
(iii)
Possesses
a
DD
form
214
certificate
of
release
or
discharge
32
for
each
period
of
active
duty
indicating
time
served
in
the
United
33
States
military
with
honorable
discharge
for
all
periods
of
active
34
duty;
35
(iv)
Has
completed
four
(4)
units
of
clinical
pastoral
education;
36
and
37
(v)
Has
completed
and
possesses
documentation
of
two
thousand
38
(2,000)
hours
of
direct
client
contact
under
the
direction
of
a
39
supervisory
chaplain
or
a
supervisory
counselor
in
any
branch
of
40
the
United
States
military.
41
(b)
In
accordance
with
the
provisions
of
section
67
-
9406(4),
Idaho
42
Code,
a
person
who
qualifies
for
licensure
pursuant
to
this
subsection
43
shall
not
be
required
by
the
board
to
take
an
examination
or
pay
an
ap
-
44
plication
fee.
45
SECTION
3.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
46
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
47
July
1,
2026.
48