HB 1832 -- COMPLAINTS AGAINST CERTAIN LICENSED PROFESSIONALS

SPONSOR:  Wells

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass by consent" by the Special
Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing by a vote of
13 to 0.

This bill allows the State Committee for Professional Counselors
within the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and
Professional Registration to remove unsubstantiated complaints
made against licensed professional counselors by offenders who
are in the custody of the Department of Corrections or who have
been ordered into custody, detained, or held by the Department of
Mental Health as sexually violent predators.  Upon the written
request of a licensed professional counselor subject to a
complaint prior to August 28, 2010, by these offenders that did
not result in disciplinary action, the committee and the Division
of Professional Registration within the Department of Insurance,
Financial Institutions and Professional Registration must destroy
all documentation regarding the complaint, notify any other
licensing board that was previously notified of the complaint of
its actions, and send a letter to the licensee clearly stating
that the complaint was unsubstantiated.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2011, FY 2012, and
FY 2013.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill will provide licensed
professional counselors with the same protections as other mental
health care professionals from frivolous complaints brought by
persons held in the Missouri Sexual Offender Treatment Center.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Wells; and Dan
Holdinghouse, National Association of Professional Counselors.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:12 pm