An Act to Update the Requirements for Psychology Licensure

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STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
S.P. 802 - L.D. 1990
An Act to Update the Requirements for Psychology Licensure
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, current law governing qualification for licensure as a psychologist
disqualifies candidates who failed an examination within the preceding 6 months,
preventing the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists from granting licensure to
candidates who subsequently passed the examination within the 6-month period; and
Whereas, one of the primary responsibilities of the board is to review the credentials
of qualified candidates for licensure as psychologists and to grant licensure without delay
in response to behavioral health workforce shortages, increasing access to behavioral health
care services; and
Whereas, this legislation must take effect as soon as possible to better allow the board
to quickly respond to the behavioral health workforce shortage; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §3831, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. Q, §9, is
further amended to read:
1. Psychological examiner. A candidate for this license shall furnish the board with
satisfactory evidence that the candidate is trustworthy and competent to practice as a
psychological examiner in such manner as to safeguard the interests of the public; has had
a master's degree reflecting comprehensive training in psychology from an accredited
educational institution recognized by the board as maintaining satisfactory standards; has
had at least one year of full-time supervised experience in psychology of a type considered
by the board to be qualifying in nature; is competent as a psychological examiner as shown
by passing such examinations, written or oral, or both, as the board determines necessary;
APPROVED
MARCH 19, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
577
PUBLIC LAW
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and is not considered by the board to be engaged in unethical practice ; and has not within
the preceding 6 months failed an examination.
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §3831, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 262, §1, is further
amended to read:
2. Psychologist. A candidate for this license shall furnish the board with satisfactory
evidence that the candidate is trustworthy and competent to practice as a psychologist in
such manner as to safeguard the interest of the public; has received a doctorate degree
reflecting comprehensive training in psychology from an accredited institution recognized
by the board as maintaining satisfactory standards, at the time the degree was granted; has
had at least 2 years of experience in psychology of a type considered by the board to be
qualifying in nature; is competent in psychology, as shown by passing such examinations
as the board determines necessary; and is not considered by the board to be engaged in
unethical practice; and has not within the preceding 6 months failed an examination. The
board shall recognize that valid comprehensive training in psychology must be received in
or accepted by a single program, but may be obtained through a degree given by
administrative units other than a department of psychology, including programs approved
by the National Association of School Psychologists or the American Psychological
Association designation program or their successors or other organizations approved by the
board. The board shall adopt a list of these programs. Individuals with degrees from
programs not on that list must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Beginning January 1, 2020, a candidate for initial licensure shall furnish the board with
satisfactory evidence that the candidate has successfully completed a minimum of 3 hours
of course work in family or intimate partner violence screening and referral and
intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors,
evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. A candidate may fulfill
this requirement through course work taken in fulfillment of other educational requirements
for licensure or through separate course work provided through any combination of contact
hours, Internet hours and distance learning programs, as evidenced by certification from an
accredited educational institution. The board shall accept certification from the accredited
educational institution from which the applicant is a graduate that verifies the applicant's
satisfaction of this requirement within the applicant's completed course curriculum. A
candidate for initial licensure that is unable to demonstrate completion of the requirement
of 3 hours of course work at the time the initial application is submitted shall demonstrate
to the board that this requirement has been fulfilled upon the candidate's first application
for license renewal.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
takes effect when approved.