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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 825
Introduced by Ballard, 21.
Read first time January 07, 2026
Committee: Health and Human Services
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to the Mental Health Practice Act; to amend1
sections 38-2101 and 38-2123, Revised Statutes Cumulative2
Supplement, 2024; to require training on domestic abuse as3
prescribed; to provide an operative date; and to repeal the original4
sections. 5
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,6
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Section 1. Section 38-2101, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,1
2024, is amended to read: 2
38-2101 Sections 38-2101 to 38-2147 and section 2 of this act shall3
be known and may be cited as the Mental Health Practice Act.4
Sec. 2. (1) Every two years, a minimum of two hours of continuing5
education in domestic abuse counseling shall be required for all licensed6
mental health practitioners under the Mental Health Practice Act.7
(2) Such training shall be conducted by an individual who has (a)8
received the domestic abuse training required in section 38-2123, (b) a9
minimum of three years' experience working with victims of domestic abuse10
or offenders, and (c) completed an additional forty hours in domestic11
abuse-related training. 12
(3) For purposes of the section, domestic abuse is abuse as defined13
in section 42-903. 14
Sec. 3. Section 38-2123, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,15
2024, is amended to read: 16
38-2123 (1) A person who needs to obtain the required three thousand17
hours of supervised experience in mental health practice as specified in18
section 38-2122 to qualify for a mental health practitioner license shall19
obtain a provisional mental health practitioner license. To qualify for a20
provisional mental health practitioner license, such person shall:21
(a) Have a master's degree, a doctoral degree, or the equivalent of22
a master's degree, as determined by the board, that consists of course23
work and training which was primarily therapeutic mental health in24
content and included a practicum or internship and was from a mental25
health program as specified in section 38-2122; 26
(b) Apply prior to earning the three thousand hours of supervised27
experience; and 28
(c) Pay the provisional mental health practitioner license fee ;29
and . 30
(d) Obtain three hours of training on domestic abuse, which shall31
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include: (i) Appropriate screening tools for victims of domestic abuse;1
(ii) indicators of high lethality or risk; (iii) documentation standards;2
(iv) appropriate referrals to domestic abuse specific services, advocacy,3
and systems navigation professionals; (v) impact on children; (vi)4
ethical practice and boundaries; and (vii) trauma-informed, victim-5
centered care and safety planning. For purposes of this subdivision (1)6
(d), domestic abuse means abuse as defined in section 42-903.7
(2) The rules and regulations approved by the board and adopted and8
promulgated by the department shall not require that the applicant have a9
supervisor in place at the time of application for a provisional mental10
health practitioner license. 11
(3) A provisional mental health practitioner license shall expire12
upon receipt of licensure as a mental health practitioner or five years13
after the date of issuance, whichever comes first.14
(4) A person who holds a provisional mental health practitioner15
license shall inform all clients that he or she holds a provisional16
license and is practicing mental health under supervision and shall17
identify the supervisor. Failure to make such disclosure is a ground for18
discipline as set forth in section 38-2139. 19
Sec. 4. This act becomes operative on January 1, 2027.20
Sec. 5. Original sections 38-2101 and 38-2123, Revised Statutes21
Cumulative Supplement, 2024, are repealed. 22
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