State Senate Committee Passes Bill to Expand Laws for Licensed Professional Counselors

ATLANTA — The state Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed a bill to expand the scope of practice laws for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).

Senate Bill 319 expands the scope of practice laws for Licensed Professional Counselors by amending the term “professional counseling” with the adoption of the word “diagnose.” The scope of practice is expanded by giving them the ability not only to evaluate and recommend a course of treatment for emotional and mental problem conditions but to also diagnose them. This grants LPCs the same authority currently granted to licensed social workers and marriage and family therapists.

“I am grateful to the Committee for hearing Senate Bill 319 and passing this important legislation,” Sen. Lester Jackson, D-Savannah, chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs Committee and sponsor of SB 319, said in a news release. “This is a step in the right direction for LPCs and their practices.”

SB 319 now heads to the Senate Rules Committee.